Revised:  11/12/2009

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Memorandum   To: AHC Member Organizations From: American Horse Council Date: January 15, 2009 Re: Contagious Equine Metritis Outbreak Update

In December 2008, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture announced that a Quarter Horse stallion tested positive for Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM), a foreign animal disease not found in the United States, during routine testing for international semen shipment. Contagious Equine Metritis is a transmissible, exotic venereal disease in horses which usually results in infertility in mares and, on rare occasions, can cause mares to spontaneously abort. Infected stallions exhibit no clinical signs but can carry the CEM bacteria for years.

Since the discovery of the positive stallion in Kentucky, a full epidemiological investigation has been underway to locate, test and quarantine any potentially exposed horses. Currently a total of nine stallions have been confirmed positive for CEM, four located in Kentucky, three in Indiana, one in Wisconsin and one in Texas. TheIndiana and Texas stallions spent time on the central Kentucky premises during the 2008 breeding season. The Friesian stallion from Wisconsin was not in Kentucky, but was co-located during the 2007 breeding season inWisconsin with one of the CEM-positive stallions that was on the Kentucky premises in 2008.

In addition to the nine positive stallions, the locations of 325 exposed horses have also been confirmed. The total of 334 horses includes 43 stallions and 291 mares located in a total of 39 States. The 43 positive or exposed stallions are located in 11 States, and the 291 exposed mares are in 37 States. Additional exposed horses that are tied to the two latest positive stallions (in Texas and Wisconsin) are actively being traced and will be held under movement restrictions by state animal health authorities, until they test negative for the disease or they complete veterinary treatment and are certified as CEM-negative. All of the horses that have tested positive for CEM and all exposed horses that have been located are currently under quarantine or are on a hold order. Testing of all associated horses is underway, as well as treatment of those found to be CEM positive.

The United States Department of Agriculture is currently funding the testing associated with this disease investigation. They are funding the diagnostic tests and sample shipping costs for the testing of any exposed horses directly linked to the investigation. An exposed horse is one that was bred to a CEM-positive horse, either naturally or via artificial insemination, or one that is otherwise epidemiologically linked to a CEM-positive horse, as determined by State and Federal animal health officials.

There is great concern over the ramifications of this situation on domestic and international transport, as many countries only accept horses that are certified to come from a country free of CEM. The American Horse Council continues to remain in contact with state and USDA representatives regarding this outbreak. We want to make sure that this investigation is executed as quickly and efficiently as possible to protect the U.S. horse industry from further spread of the disease and ensure that the U.S. can maintain its status of being free of CEM and allow continued movement of horses.

Please contact us with any questions.

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