Equine Preventive Medicine Flashcards
Core equine vaccines: definition + all 4 of them
Core: common equine infectious diseases that are either endemic, have significant public health impacts, are legally required, or have high virulence / severity
1. Tetanus
2. Rabies
3. EEE & WEE
4. WNV
all = very infectious & severe (high morbidity, high mortality)
Risk-based equine vaccines: definition + examples
Risk-based: based on endemicity of specific region/population, and the individual horse within a population.
1. EHV
2. Equine influenza
3. Potomac horse fever
4. Strangles (strep equi ss equi -> suppurative bronchopneum)
5. Lepto
6. VEE
Factors that influence the design of a vaccination protocol in equine populations:
- population density
- poor management husbandry
- inadeqaute sanitation / maintenance of stalls, food bunks, water supply, etc.
- inadequate vector control
- movement of people & fomites in / out of facility
- any concurrent disease in the population / individual horses
- specific policies of each barn
core
Tetanus
- found where
- vaccine type
- vaccine efficacy
- Exposure protocol / define Theiler’s disease
- ubiquitous in soil -> all horses @ risk
- killed vaccine (inactivated toxoid)
- provides good protection / Ab response for ≥ 6 months
- Exposure: antitoxin + toxoid
- Theiler’s disease = equine serum hepatitis: horse that receives post-exposure antitoxin is @ risk of developing (if antitoxin sourced from serum of horses w/ tetanus Ab)
booster exposure if > 6 month since booster
core
Rabies
- found where
- vaccine type
- Exposure protocol
- uncommon, but endemic in wildlife populations (racccoons, skunks)
- killed vaccine; induces strong serologic response
- Exposure: contact state PH officials if unvaxxed; if previously vaxxed, immediately re-vax & observe as directed by state PH ofiicals
core
EEE / WEE
- life cycle
- vaccine type
- vaccine efficacy
- endemic in wild bird populations (reservoir host) w/ mosquito vectors
- Killed vaccine
- 100% efficacy, very safe
core
WNV
- life cycle
- main vaccine type
- vaccine efficacy
- endemic in wild bird populations (reservoir host) and mosquito vectors
- killed vaccine
- 100% efficacy & very safe
Risk-based
EHV
- found where
- types of disease states
- common vaccine type
- vaccine efficacy
- which vaccine type to give to pregnant mares and when
- mostly infects when foals -> latent -> recrudescence during stressful events
- Rhinopneumonitis, Abortion, Myeloencephalopathy
- Killed -> low and high antigen load options
- efficacy: good for abortion, “meh” for rhinopneum., NONE for myeloenceph.
- Give pregnant mares HIGH antigen load inactivated vaccine to prevent abortion ( @ 5, 7, 9 months gestation)
Risk-based
Vaccine types for equine influenza
- Killed (IM)
- Modified live (IN)
Risk-based
What horses typically receive EHV (rhinopneumonitis) vaccine? Frequency?
- < 5 years of age
- on breeding farms
- at high-traffic facilities
- performance horses
given biannually
Risk-based
Strangles
- vaccine types and any cautions
- Killed (IM)
- Modified Live (IN) -> WILL CAUSE ABSCESS IF CONTAMINATES INJECTABLE SITE; can also cause non-infectious clinical signs of Strangles
Risk-based
Potomac Horse Fever
- found where
- vaccine type + efficacy
- vaccination frequency in endemic areas
- endemic in northern & eastern U.S., and seasonally (summer to early fall)
- Killed vaccine with LOW efficacy
- In endemic areas, give biannually, 3-4 months apart prior to peak season
What is the Coggins test?
Test = Agar Gel Immunodiffusion test (AGID)
- annual test for equine infectious anemia, particularly for horses that co-mingle
annual test for “Anywhere that horses co-mingle”
What muscles are used for IM injections in horses?
- Cervical muscle
- Semimembranosus or Semitendinosus
How early in advance should vaccines be administered prior to exposure event?
3-4 weeks prior
When should pregnant mares NOT be vaccinated, and why?
During first 90 days of gestation!! -> early abortion, CL lysis, etc.
When to vaccinate pregnant mare prior to foaling?
one month prior to parturition in order to provide colostral antibodies
When do colostral antibodies begin to decline in foals? What are exceptions (regarding starting vaccinations)?
- Colostral Abs decline @ 4-6 months of age -> start vaccination here
- Exception #1 = Influenza vaccine - start @ 6-9 months of age.
- Exception #2 = start vaccination earlier if mare was unvaccinated or foal had FPT
Certificate of Veterinary Inspection
- purposes
- validity
- for interstate travel and for most equine events
- Is valid for 30 days
A “health certificate”
4 causes of vaccine failures
- vaccinated too close to exposure event
- overwhelming pathogen load / exposure occurrences
- animal was overtly stressed during vaccination
- improper storage / handling / administration of vaccine
