AAEP Publishes Field Diagnostic Guidelines for Equine Infectious Abortion

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has published on its website Field Diagnostic Guidelines for Equine Infectious Abortion designed to assist practitioners with their differential and diagnostic approach to equine abortion cases of unknown etiology.

Equine abortion etiologies range from viral, fungal and bacterial infections to environmental or developmental factors. Due to the contagious nature of some equine abortion pathogens, obtaining a definitive diagnosis is essential to guiding targeted treatment and biosecurity strategies. Infectious causes should be considered in any case of equine abortion, prompting implementation of biosecurity practices that limit herd mate exposure to the fetus, fetal membranes/fluids, and dam.

The guidelines include step-by-step instructions for examination of the mare, placenta, and fetus/necropsy, along with an abortion field necropsy sample collection worksheet. The differential and diagnostic flowchart contained within the guidelines will help practitioners navigate their differential list, sample collection and diagnostic test selection to aid in achieving a definitive diagnosis.

“An efficient and accurate diagnosis is essential as the impact from infectious causes of abortion can spread to the herd and trigger additional outbreaks,” said Toby L. Pinn-Woodcock, DVM, DACVIM, chair of the AAEP Infectious Disease Committee and associate clinical professor, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. “These field diagnostic guidelines are intended to serve as comprehensive and accessible resources for practitioners to ease diagnostic selection and increase the diagnosis of equine infectious abortion.”

Sarah Eaton, DVM, DACT, DABVP-Equine, chair of the AAEP Disease Guidelines Subcommittee and associate professor of practice at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, added, “The flowchart is especially beneficial to practitioners who may not see many abortion cases and want step-by-step directions.”

Authored collaboratively by the members of the AAEP Field Guidelines Subcommittee, the Field Diagnostic Guidelines for Equine Infectious Abortion were reviewed and approved by the AAEP’s Infectious Disease Committee and board of directors. View the guidelines or save them to your mobile device at https://aaep.org/resource/equine-infectious-abortion-field-diagnostic-guidelines.

This is the fourth set of Field Diagnostic Guidelines published by the AAEP and follows previous issuance of similar step-by-step protocols for Infectious Neurologic Disease, Acute Infectious Diarrhea and Infectious Respiratory Disease. AAEP’s Field Diagnostic Guidelines are accessible at https://aaep.org/guidelines-resources/field-diagnostic-guidelines.

About AAEP

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

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