Contagious Equine Metritis, Also Known as CEM
Recent Outbreak of This Reportable Infectious Disease Seen in Horses
Apr 3, 2009
Recently, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) division of the United States Department of Agriculture has reported an outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM). Contagious equine metritis is a reportable infectious disease due to the fact that CEM can cause considerable economic damage to affected horse farms.
What is Contagious Equine Metritis?
Contagious equine metritis is a sexually transmitted disease which occurs in horses. It is caused by a bacterial organism known as Taylorella equigenitalis.
Contagious equine metritis is spread through mating an infected horse with another uninfected horse. It is easily spread in this fashion and the transmission rate is high.
Contagious equine metritis can also be spread through the use of contaminated instruments and equipment, meaning that the disease can be spread if instruments and equipment used on multiple horses is not properly cleaned and sterilized after each use.
In addition, semen collected for artificial insemination may transmit CEM from the stallion to any mares inseminated with the infected semen.
Contagious equine metritis is not generally spread through casual contact with other horses at a boarding facility, horse show, trail ride or other horse related activities. CEM is not spread through sharing water troughs, grazing the same pastures or being stabled or turned out in the same pen.
Signs of Contagious Equine Metritis
Stallions are often asymptomatic carriers of contagious equine metritis, which means that stallions can carry CEM without showing any outward signs of infection.
In mares, symptoms of contagious equine metritis include:
- a vaginal discharge which may be of a mucous nature or may be pus-like or a combination of both
- abortion
- infertility
Both breeding mares and stallions at stud can become chronic carriers of contagious equine metritis and can be sources of infection for outbreaks in the future.
Treatment of Horses with Contagious Equine Metritis
Contagious equine metritis is treated through the use of effective disinfectants and the administration of antibiotics.
There are federal guidelines in place which specify how infected and exposed horses are handled.
- Mares which have been diagnosed with or potentially exposed to contagious equine metritis must be quarantined for a minimum of 21 days and must undergo a treatment program.
- Stallions which have been diagnosed with or potentially exposed to CEM must be quarantined and undergo a treatment program. These stallions cannot be released from quarantine until they have tested negative for CEM.
- The above rules also apply to horses being transported from countries where contagious equine metritis has been confirmed.
The Recent Outbreak of Contagious Equine Metritis
According to APHIS, in mid-December, 2008, a Quarter horse in Kentucky tested positive for contagious equine metritis through routine testing of semen collected for shipment to another facility. Currently, the resulting investigation involves 608 individual horses located in 45 different states.
Contagious equine metritis was first diagnosed in 1977 in Europe. Since then, it has been found in the United States on only two other occasions, in 1979 and in 2006.
Contagious equine metritis is not considered to be a threat to the general horse population and is not believed to affect people.
 |
