Georgia CEM Summary Update
March 20, 2009
This information is a compilation of USDA APHIS VS and Georgia Department of
Agriculture updates and is provided for stakeholders. Georgia state and federal animal
health officials, horse owners and participating accredited veterinarians are working hard
to carry out necessary testing, treatments, and complete investigations in a timely
manner.
A. CEM National Epidemiology Summary
A total of 13 stallions have been confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services
Laboratories (NVSL) as positive for Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative organism of
contagious equine metritis (CEM). In addition to the positive stallions, the NVSL has
confirmed that three mares are positive for T. equigenitalis. None of the positive horses
have yet been identified as the source of the outbreak and the epidemiologic investigation
continues to pursue all available information relative to determining the origin of this
outbreak, but no conclusions can yet be drawn.
One of the positive stallions is located in Georgia, three are in Indiana, four are in
Kentucky, one is in Texas, and four are in Wisconsin. The Georgia stallion is the first in
this incident to be detected as positive on test breeding; all 12 previous positive stallions
were detected on culture samples prior to test breeding. All four (4) of the positive
stallions in Kentucky, and one of the three in Indiana, have successfully completed their
treatment and subsequent testing protocol and are now free of T. equigenitalis. Of the
three positive mares, one is located in California, one is in Illinois, and one is in
Wisconsin. Two of these mares were apparently infected through artificial insemination.
None of the positive mares has yet completed the treatment and post-treatment testing
protocol.
In addition to the 13 positive stallions and 3 positive mares, locations have been
confirmed for 660 additional horses exposed to T. equigenitalis. The total of 676 horses,
located in 46 States, includes 108 stallions and 568 mares.
There are 19 States known to have exposed or positive stallions: Alabama, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan,
Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin,
and Wyoming. The exposure for most of the stallions has been co-location at a breeding
facility with at least one positive stallion. There are currently seven additional exposed
stallions actively being traced.
There are 44 States known to have exposed or positive mares: Alabama, Alaska,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,
Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The exposure for most of the mares has been
through AI. There are 15 additional exposed mares still actively being traced.
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Georgia CEM Summary Update
March 20, 2009
All positive horses, and all exposed horses that have been located, are currently under
quarantine or hold order. Testing and treatment protocols are being put into action for all
located horses.
Eighteen stallions (13 exposed and 5 formerly positive) have now completed their entire
testing and treatment protocol and been determined to be negative for T. equigenitalis.
Another 58 exposed stallions have had at least one set of negative cultures prior to test
breeding. A total of 258 exposed mares have completed their testing and treatment
protocol and are negative for T. equigenitalis.
An exposed horse is one that was bred, either naturally or via artificial insemination, to a
horse positive for T. equigenitalis, or one that is otherwise epidemiologically linked to a
positive horse, as determined by State and Federal animal health officials.
B. CEM in Georgia:
In Georgia, 3 potentially exposed stallions and 8 potentially exposed mares have been
identified and are in varying stages of completion of testing and treatment. An additional
yearling filly of a mare that died prior to being tested is also undergoing testing.
One of the stallions has tested positive for the CEM organism, Taylorella equigenetalis.
The stallion and his two infected test mares are undergoing an extensive protocol of
treatment before being retested. Negative results on multiple testing procedures will be
required in order to declare the stallion and test mares clear of the organism and to allow
their release from quarantine. (See press release on GDA website)
Georgia may receive further traces as the national CEM investigation continues and
possible links from a positive horse to cohort stallions or exposed mares are identified.
Georgia horse owners should be aware that state and federal animal health officials, with
participation of accredited attending equine practitioners and cooperation of owners of
exposed horses, are working hard to complete all investigations and treatments to restore
the state to a CEM negative status.
It is important to recognize that only a small number of individual horses in the state are
involved, with limited impact on the overall equine breeding activities in the state.
Nevertheless, all horse owners should be aware of official actions and abide by any
necessary animal health management and biosecurity guidelines in order to support the
return of the Georgia horse population to normal activity as soon as possible.
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Georgia CEM Summary Update
March 20, 2009
Links:
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USDA APHIS- Contagious Equine Metritis
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/cem/index.shtml
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The USDA APHIS National Center for Import Center (NCIE) International
Animal Export Regulations web link is:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/
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Georgia Department of Agriculture- Home Page (See Featured Items)
http://agr.georgia.gov/02/doa/home/0,2473,38902732,00.html
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Kentucky Department of Agriculture- Equine Program
http://www.kyagr.com/statevet/equine/index.htm
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Iowa State University CVM- Contagious Equine Metritis Fact Sheet
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/contagious_equine_metritis.pdf
CEM must be reported immediately upon diagnosis or suspicion of the disease.
Federal: GA Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC): 770-922-7860
State: GA State Veterinarian: 404-656-3671
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