Environment

CEM - STD of Horse World

by Barbara McPherson | January 9, 2009 at 02:13 pm

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Contagious Equine Metritis(CEM) is a highly contagious disease that is spread during breeding, but may also be spread by contact with infected items. Three stallions on a farm in Kentucky have tested positive for this disease. Their frozen semen has been imported into Canada and has been traced to Alberta and Ontario. Ongoing work is being done to trace any other distribution. CEM may result in infertility or abortion of the foals.

CEM has been identified quite recently (1977) and has spread around the world. Canada is maintaining tight controls over this disease and has designated it a reportable disease. If a case of CEM is suspected, you are required to report it to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

At this time the CFIA is recommending that horse breeders and vetrinarians exercise "caution and refrain from importing breeding horses, embryos and semen from the U.S." The CFIA website has more information on this highly contagious disease of equines.

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Amy Judd

at 14:19 on January 9th, 2009

Oooh, sad...

Art_By_Alida

at 20:47 on January 10th, 2009

I would think that responsible breeders would have their horses tested for this.

Most responsible dog breeders will test before breeding, but there are a great deal more irresponsible breeders than good ones.

I wonder if it's easy to test for?

Barbara McPherson

at 09:57 on January 11th, 2009

I don't know, but from what I've learned, the horses may be infected but asymptomatic for years. The frozen semen industry is a large one. The stallions that I referred to would have been advertised and a fairly hefty price probably paid for a 'straw' of semen. Embryo transfer is a growing part of the horse industry too.