This message is from: "Green Valley Farm" <sop...@greenvalleyfarm.com>
WHAT IS CEM ? Contagious Equine Metritis "According to Gluck researchers (The Gluck Equine Research Center, College of Agriculture at the University Kentucky), CEM is a sexually transmitted disease that only affects members of the equine family. It does not present an immediate risk of spread to the general horse population as long as state and federal regulations are followed. The disease can only be transmitted by sexual contact and is most frequently spread when a stallion breeds a mare. It may also be transmitted through artificial insemination or contact with contaminated hands or any objects that have been in contact with the genitalia of infected stallions or mares. Stallions are symptom-free carriers of the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis. Infected mares can develop inflammation of the reproductive tract, which can result in temporary infertility. Researchers said there are no reports of transmission of infection to pregnant mares except at the time of breeding. Only two confirmed cases of abortion due to this bacterium have been reported in the past 30 years. CEM can be treated effectively with a wide range of disinfectants and antibiotics. Strict hygiene should be observed after contact with horses that test positive for Taylorella equigenitalis. CEM is not known to be transmissible to humans." The transmission rate is high and naturally occurs by mating, but contaminated instruments and equipment may be an indirect source of infecting mares and stallions. The bacteria can also be spread via semen collected for artificial insemination. State and federal animal health personnel have conducted the investigation by examining the breeding records and movement history of each infected horse to find other exposed animals. At each step, any exposed animals are quarantined, tested and treated. Owners of exposed animals are contacted by state or federal animal health officials. There is no need for them to have their animals tested if they have not been contacted. CEM is considered a foreign animal disease in the United States. It was first discovered in Europe in 1977, and countries known to be affected include Norway, Holland, Denmark and Germany. When Kastanjegardens Fernando was imported from Denmark in 2000 he completed his six weeks of quarantine and was certified CEM negative. The Illinois Department of Agriculture notified Green Valley Farm in March, 2009 that Fernando was possibly exposed to a bacterial infection in 2005 at a breeding facility in Wisconsin. He was tested and found positive and is undergoing the extensive CEM treatment protocol and will be released after demonstrating he tests negative for the disease. When Green Valley Farm received this information, we immediately decided to be pro active and transparent. We have taken the immediate steps, complied with all government requests for breeding information and are voluntarily proceeding with testing all of our breeding mares and stallions. It is our goal to once again have a CEM free breeding farm, educate other breeders and to help eradicate CEM from all equine breeds. We wish to thank all of our Fjord friend and clients for their support, understanding and encouragement. We will keep our Fjord community updated with important information. We were about to send this article just as we received an important update. We tested 5 mares who had been bred to Fernando by live cover from 2001 to 2005 and then three of the mares with frozen semen from 2005 through 2008. These five mares were cultured three times over a period of two weeks and we just received the wonderful news that all five mares have tested negative. This probably tell us that Fernando did not have CEM before 2005 and that the bacteria was not passed through the frozen semen used from 2005 through 2008 Sincerely, Howard & Sophie Fiedler Green Valley Farm If you would like more information the following are good sources: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/cem/index.shtml http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=13279 Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
