Kingswood EC - Events cancelled until 26/3/14 biosecurity alert

[jnb]

http://www.kingswoodec.com/docs/bionotice.pdf

Strangles case which was already isolated - EC on lock down until 27th March - there were some events planned for next weekend which are cancelled.

 

[jnb]

I have to say, pat on the back for the EC for prompt and honest action with this, minimising the risk for everyone.

 

[lawa]

I am riding a horse here to help a friend. The action they have taken is brilliant.

 

[joelb]

Should they not have locked down completely though and cancelled arena hire for ALL species? Negligible risk I’m sure, but dogs and handlers can carry the bacteria fairly easily.

 

[jnb]

Have they not cancelled the Dog Agility then?

 

[lawa]

The next dog day is not untill the 29th which is currently outside the shutdown period?

 

[robjl]

Firstly thank you all for your support. We strongly believe that centres like ours should take the lead in being open in disease control. Things like this can happen to anyone and this is the first time in 30 years we have had any such incident. Regarding the dog hires. There is absolutely no risk to anyone currently allowed to visit the centre. To date only one horse has tested positive and all other horse tests taken are negative. The horse in question is in total isolation. There is no risk the bacteria could have come into contact with the indoor school surface. All we ask is that people are sensible and stick to the areas they should be in. We will constantly revise the quarantine under advisement with our team of vets. Everyone entering or leaving the horse control area is required to disinfect feet and hands as an additional precaution over and above the already stringent measures in place.

 

[joelb]

No jnb agility training is continuing 3 nights pw and shows are on schedule. Folk were just informed there is equine distemper on yard but there is no risk to their dogs – it didn’t register to some handlers that ED is strangles. Certainly one little poochy won’t be enjoying walks at our yard for the foreseeable.

Thanks for posting robjl and for being open and honest about the situation. I think no less of Kingswood for this incident, it does indeed demonstrate that it can happen to the very best yards. Were it not for the solid isolation policy and vigilant staff this would have been a whole lot worse. Our yard has no isolation policy and frankly it’s flipping scary .

 

[robjl]

On 12th March tests were taken from a large sample of horses at the centre from various risk zones.

ALL the tests proved negative - the infection has been controlled and isolated to the single horse - who has now clinically recovered from the infection.

It remains in our RED zone on the highest level of infection control and isolation.

There is NO RISK AT ALL to any dog agility clients so long as they remain outside the quarantine area. As such, all dog hires and shows will continue.

Dog Agility organisers were advised immediately that we had one case of strangles and that they were completely safe to continue using the indoor arena.

There was no risk to their animals nor any risk of cross contamination with dog owners who also had horses - indeed no more so than the risk to us when they come to our centre.

The use of the word "distemper" is a little misleading - hence why we don't use it.

It bares very little if any similarity with canine distemper - which from what I understand is a very serious illness that the dogs really never recover from.

That is caused by a virus - strangles is a bacterial infection that has no long lasting effects on the animal and is thus controlled by the use of antibiotics.