Posted on Thursday, Dec 3, 2009 - 11:24 am:

• Currently, a total of 342 horses have been determined to be Babesia equi positive out of 1,246 horses tested to date. There are 289 positive horses under quarantine on the index ranch in Texas. The remaining positive horses are located on other premises in the following states: Alabama 1, California 2, Florida 5, Georgia 1, Louisiana 5, Minnesota 1, North Carolina 2, New Jersey 3, Tennessee 1, Texas 30, Utah 1, Wisconsin 1.
• Multiple positive horses were identified in the 2007 sales year, indicating that infection was present on the index ranch prior to 2007. Records have been obtained for horses sold from the index ranch from 2004 to 2006. These traces are currently being forwarded to the receiving states.
• Amblyomma cajennense ticks from the index ranch have proven capable of transmitting B. equi to a previously negative horse at the USDA/ARS lab in Pullman, WA. Transmission experiments with other species of ticks from the index ranch are ongoing.
• Identification and testing of cohorts is ongoing. Cohorts are defined as horses that have recently had direct contact with positive trace outs (i.e. herd mates/pen mates). To date, 451 cohorts have been tested in 15 states. All cohorts have tested negative.
• Identification and testing of dangerous contacts has begun. Dangerous contacts include premises that sold horses to the index ranch, horses that temporarily boarded on the index ranch premises, and foals born to positive mares.
• Testing of horses on premises adjacent to the index ranch in Texas is ongoing. To date, 267 horses on 6 adjacent premises have been tested.
• Records were obtained for horses sold from the index ranch from 2007 to 2009:
  • There were 40 horses traced to 14 states (AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, LA, MN, NC, NJ, OK, TN, UT, WI, WY).
  • There were 23 horses traced to Mexico and 3 horses traced to Costa Rica.
  • There were 64 horses traced to other premises in Texas.

Posted on Thursday, Dec 3, 2009 - 11:52 am: