fying diseased equids, those with positive test re-
sults for diseases regulated in the state, conducting
epidemiologic investigations, tracing and potentially
testing exposed animals, assessing and determining
quarantine implementation and release parameters,
implementing appropriate disease control methodol-
ogies, issuing movement restrictions when appropri-
ate, and reporting disease investigation findings.
Implementation of science-based biosecurity mea-
sures is critical to protecting the health of the na-
tional equine population from diseases of regulatory
concern.
1
2. State Reportable Disease Lists—Equine
Equine diseases of regulatory concern are those that
have potential state, national, or global significance.
For example, an incursion of a foreign animal dis-
ease, such as African horse sickness in the United
States would have significant national and global
impact given that the U.S. equine population is na-
ïve to this disease and could result in high mortality
and immediate trade implications including likely
movement restrictions on export of equids from the
U.S. In contrast, an introduction of Streptococcus
equi subspecies equi into a group of horses on a U.S.
farm would result in limited fatalities in the affected
horses and minimal, if any, restrictions on trade.
Both diseases are of concern to the U.S. equine in-
dustry; all states require reporting of African horse
sickness if it were to occur in the U.S. but only a few
states require reporting of strangles cases. The World Organization for Animal Health (Office
of Epizootics International [OIE]) member countries
must report the occurrence of any disease deemed by
OIE as of international significance. The list of
international reportable diseases can be found at
http://www.oie.int/animal-health-in-the-wo rld/oie-
listed-diseases-2016/. The following diseases of
equids are included on the OIE Reportable Disease
List: African horse sickness, contagious equine
metritis (CEM), dourine, Eastern and Western
equine encephalomyelitis, equine herpesvirus-1
(EHV-1), equine infectious anemia (EIA), equine in-
fluenza, equine piroplasmosis (EP), equine viral ar-
teritis, glanders, rabies, West Nile virus, and
Venezuelan equine encephalitis. Detection of a for-
eign animal disease, one not known to exist in the
U.S., would have major economic and trade effects
and require immediate state/federal notification and
prompt implementation of control measures to pro-
tect the U.S. equine population. In the U.S., the National Animal Health Report-
ing System (NAHRS) is the U.S. reporting system
for the OIE-reportable diseases. SAHOs submit
monthly reports of the occurrence of confirmed OIE-
reportable diseases in livestock in their states to
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) via
NAHRS. The reporting is as a yes or no for occur-
rence of the listed disease in the state. The
NAHRS Reportable Diseases list is available at:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animal health/monitoring-and-surveillance/sa_disease_
reporting/ct_disease_list. It is important to note that SAHOs are responsible
for monitoring equine disease trends in their states
to assess risks and to determine triggers for en-
hanced disease control measures in the state. Each
state develops and maintains a state reportable-
disease list, which might include endemic equine
diseases of concern to the state’s equine industry, in
addition to OIE- and USDA-reportable diseases and
conditions. SAHOs determine which diseases are
reportable to their office, often in consultation with
industry. Industry-driven reportable diseases may
include diseases such as strangles or pigeon fever.
The state veterinarian determines who is responsi-
ble for reporting the disease or condition (i.e., diag-
nostic laboratory, veterinarians, owners, etc.), to
whom to make the report (state/federal official),
when it should be reported (i.e., immediately [within
24 h] or within 2 days or within 30 days), and what
should be reported (suspicious signs or conditions,
laboratory-confirmed case, confirmed disease agent
detection). For example, equine herpesvirus my-
eloencephalopathy (EHM) was added to the Califor-
nia Reportable Animal Disease List in January
2011. Before 2011, California SAHOs had been
monitoring the situation and noted an increase in
confirmed neurologic cases of EHV-1. Nationally,
the increase in the number of EHM outbreaks war-
ranted further industry research and discussions to
determine appropriate actions that should occur
when this disease is in California. The California
Department of Food and Agriculture Equine Advi-
sory Committee agreed that the risk of EHM neces-
sitated regulatory actions to protect the health of the
California equine industry and a decision was made
to add EHM to the California Reportable Disease
List. Inconsistencies in state reportable animal disease
lists are a recognized challenge to those in the
equine industry and the lists represent a variation
in equine disease risk and control issues across the
United States. Private practitioners are encour-
aged to familiarize themselves with the reportable
disease list in their state and to communicate di-
rectly any concerns regarding the state reportable
disease list to SAHOs.
3. Detection of Reportable Disease
The private practitioner is essential in protecting
the health of the equine industry given that they
are the first line of defense and response to a regu-
latory reportable disease situation. If a reportable
disease is suspected, the private practitioner is
urged to promptly contact the local state or federal
animal health official to discuss the situation. The
state regulatory official can provide immediate guid-
ance on management of a suspect case specifically
related to sample collection, specimen handling, ap-
propriate diagnostic tests to request, and implemen-
tation of biosecurity measures. In addition, the
336 2016 fiVol. 62fiAAEP PROCEEDINGS
IN-DEPTH: INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK MANAGEMENT