Horses are affected by a number of ectoparasites across the world, including flies, midges, ticks, lice and mites.

BEVA webinar: Dermatology - the itchy scratchies! Matthew Robin (2022)

EHV consensus building tool

These resources help guide vets and clients in how to avoid and manage outbreaks of infectious diseases in terms of yard and transportation biosecurity.

Infection control resources

We recommend that the groups of horses listed below are vaccinated with a primary course (2 vaccines) and thereafter vaccination should continue as follows:

Non-pregnant females and males

Re-vaccinate against EHV-1 at 6-month intervals. 

This protocol is recommended for:

• Horses >6 months and <5 years of age
• Horses that may come into contact with pregnant mares
• Horses housed at facilities with frequent movement of horses on and off the premises
• Horses which frequently attend gatherings where horses mingle in close proximity

Pregnant mares

Re-vaccinate against EHV-1 at 6-monthly intervals and in addition give vaccines at 5, 7 and 9 months of gestation.

Vaccines for EHV 1 and 4 can be given at the same time as those for equine influenza and tetanus. There is no clear evidence of harm or benefit associated with combining EHV vaccines with other vaccines. Presently available vaccines reduce clinical signs due to infection with EHV1 and 4 and reduce abortion caused by EHV1 infection. Currently there is not clear evidence of benefit or harm when used in populations exposed to high risk of neurological EHV.

British Equestrian: Equine Herpes Virus

British Equestrian: EHV information sheet

FEI: EHV information sheet

HBLB International Codes of Practice: Equine Coital Exanthema (ECE)

This video from British Equestrian features Richard Newton summarising the disease

Clinical signs usually appear within 1–5 days of exposure to the flu virus and they can last for 3–6 weeks.

Signs can include a high temperature, cough, nasal discharge, enlarged glands (under the lower jaw), conjunctivitis, depression, loss of appetite and filling of the lower limbs.

Use our infection control resources to help your clients understand how to manage biosecurity on their yard to both prevent and manage the spread of infectious diseases.

Access the resources

We recommend that all horses are vaccinated against equine influenza. Read our full position statement on influenza vaccinations.

Six monthly boosters 

Science advances, "label claims" rarely do. We have the freedom to recommend the use of products “off label” or to use unregistered products where it is appropriate to do so. Our responsibility is to act in the best interests of the horses under our care and the evidence is unequivocal that in higher risk populations better protection is afforded by vaccination at 6 monthly intervals rather than 12.

Download the infographic

Vaccine reckoner

The flu vaccine reckoner will help you select the right equine influenza vaccination schedule based on the horse's risk category, the vaccine brand, whether the horse is actively competing, and under which authority or authorities it is competing.

Download the reckoner

Equine Influenza BEVA webinar with Adam Rash and Fleur Whitlock (recorded 2019)

Watch webinar

Equine Health Week 2022 webinar with Richard Newton

Equine Health Week 2022 - The case for six-monthly vaccinations with Richard Newton

Equine Health Week 2022 - Why do we vaccinate with Richard Newton

EVJ in Conversation podcast: Equine Influenza Bi-Annual Boosters

 Regulators and authorities

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common cause of pruritis in horses. 

It is usually caused by the sensitivity to the saliva of Culicoides spp of biting midge, however other insect species have been implicated.

BEVA webinar: Dermatology - the itchy scratchies! Matthew Robin (2022)

EVJ Narrative Review: Rhodococcus equi foal pneumonia: Update on epidemiology, immunity, treatment and prevention - Bordin AI, Huber L, Sanz MG, Cohen ND. (2022)

BEVA Transatlantic Equine Clinic: Management of R equi in foals - Macarena Sanz, Monica Venner & Emily Floyd (2023)

Ringworm in horses is caused by two main genera of fungi:

1. Trichophyton 
2. Microsporum

Incubation: 2-3 weeks

Immunity appears to increase with age.

Infection is limited to the hair and epidermis.

EVE Skin diseases refresher: Dermatophytosis (ringworm) - Pilsworth & Knottenbelt (2007)

Incubation period

The time between infection and clinical signs is between 3 and 14 days.

Recovery

Most horses will recover fully within 6 weeks. 

Carriers

Roughly 10% of horses will remain carriers of the disease after 'recovery'. This means that they will no longer show clinical signs but still harbour the bacteria in their guttural pouches, and as such are able to intermittently spread the disease to other horses.

The signs of strangles can vary enormously between cases, with some horses only exhibiting very mild signs such as mild nasal discharge, which can be mistaken for other less serious respiratory diseases.

More typical signs of Strangles include the following:

• Depression
• Loss of appetite/difficulty eating
• Raised temperature
• Cough
• Nasal discharge - often thick and yellow (purulent or pus like)
• Swollen lymph nodes (glands) around the throat
• Drainage of pus from the lymph nodes around the jaw

Prevention

Prevention relies on:

• isolation of new arrivals to the property for 14–21 day.
• restricted contact or isolation of resident horses who have been exposed during travel to show.
• quarantine of the premises during an outbreak.
• additional screening of new arrivals for subclinical carrier status should also be considered.
• animals should be monitored for evidence of disease.

During an outbreak

In the event of an outbreak:

• horses should be physically separated into groups according to infection status (clinically affected, exposed, clean). 
• strict biosecurity should be employed.
• if possible each group cared for by separate caretakers wearing protective clothing. 
• monitoring, including twice daily rectal temperature of all horses, should be employed to detect new cases of disease. 
• contaminated equipment should be cleaned with detergent and disinfected using chlorhexidine gluconate or glutaraldehyde. 
• flies can transmit infection mechanically therefore efforts should be made to control the fly population during an outbreak. 
• farriers, trainers, veterinarians and other yard visitors should wear protective clothing or change clothes before traveling to the next equine facility.

Recovery

• Recovering horses can continue to shed S. equi for 4–6 weeks after symptoms have resolved.
• Screening for shedding or carrier status should not be initiated until 3 weeks after resolution of clinical signs of disease. 
• A PCR array of a single bilateral guttural pouch wash (ideally with endoscopy) is the most sensitive means to detect continued infection.
• However, 3 negative nasopharyngeal washes at intervals of 7 days can also be used for release from quarantine if this is not possible.

Infection control resources

Use our infection control resources to help your clients understand how to manage biosecurity on their yard to both prevent and manage the spread of infectious diseases.

Access the resources

BEVA position statement

Vaccines aimed to reduce risk of clinical signs associated with Strep equi subspecies equi infection are available with published experimental data to support their efficacy and safety. 

We will continue to appraise future research publications and experience from clinical practice before adopting a position on these vaccines.

 Strangles Awareness Week

Mastitis can affect lactating, peripartum, dry mares, mares at dry-off or prepubertal foals.

EVE Review Article: Diagnosis and treatment of mastitis in mares - Canisso, Podico & Ellerbrock (2019)