BEVA Council member James Crabtree represented BEVA in discussions along with other equine industry representatives, over a strategy of how best to approach the 2024 breeding season in the face of the ongoing unavailability of Equip Artervac (Zoetis) and confirmation that the vaccine will be unavailable until at least the back end of 2024.
Meetings involved Zoetis, DEFRA, members of the Eqiune Infectious Disease Surveilance (EIDS) team, BEVA and representatives of the Thoroughbred Breeding Industry who recommend vaccination of Thoroughbred stallions against Equine Arteritis Virus using Artervac (the only commercially available vaccine in the UK), as detailed in the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) International Codes of Practice.
Given Artervac is not a 'DIVA vaccine' ie. one can not Differentiate Infected from Vaccinated Animals (DIVA), it was accepted that lapsed vaccinated stallions will likely have positive serology results, meaning that seronegativity will not be able to be used in all instances to confirm disease free status at the start of the breeding season. It was therefore necessary to define an approach that could be used to navigate the different options available for establishing disease free status to safely start breeding in 2024.
The group reviewed the current situation and discussed the diagnostic options available resulting in the formulation of a decision tree to help clinicians navigate the options available for individual stallions depending on their vaccination status and whether or not they were blood sampled and serum stored post their last vaccination in 2023.
It is important to note that if stallions have incomplete vaccination histories or lapsed vaccinations not as a result of the 2023 shortage of Artervac, this strategy WILL NOT apply to them and they may need a bespoke screening strategy, depending on their risk of exposure, since their last vaccination. Members are reminded that it is BEVA's recommendation that all stallions are screened at the beginning of the breeding season to establish freedom from infection with Contagious Equine Metritis, Equine Viral Arteritis and Equine Infectious Anaemia, prior to commencing breeding activities. If you require further guidance see EVE article EVA: a potential trapdoor for the practicing veterinary surgeon in the United Kingdom, or contact us at membership@beva.org.uk.
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