Congress Requires Equine Piroplasmosis Test
Press Release
Beginning in 2011, the Ohio Quarter Horse Association will require certification of a negative blood test for equine piroplasmosis for all horses entering the Ohio Expo Center for the All American Quarter Horse Congress. The test must have been completed within one year prior to entry onto the show grounds.
Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the parasites Babesia caballi and Theilertia equi that affects horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras.The disease is transmitted via tick bites or through mechanical transmission by improperly disinfected needles or surgical instruments.
“Unfortunately, this disease is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the U.S.,” said OQHA Executive Vice President Cam Foreman. “With the volume of horses that attend the Congress, we felt that we needed to protect both the exhibitors and their horses to the best of our ability.”
By allowing a negative test to be completed within one year, exhibitors can have one test done for both the AQHA World Shows and the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
Please note that horses without a certificate of a negative blood test for equine piroplasmosis will not be permitted onto the show grounds. Additionally, all trailers entering the show grounds will be required to stop at a secondary checkpoint, located before the Stall Office, to verify negative Coggins and negative equine piroplasmosis tests.
The Ohio Quarter Horse Association will be enforcing the following rule: A negative test for equine piroplasmosis will be required for all horses attending the 2011 All American Quarter Horse Congress. The horse(s) must be tested negative by the c-ELISA assay for both Theilerta equi and Babesia caballi. All horses entering the Congress shall be accompanied by an official laboratory report or certificate of veterinary inspection indicating the negative piroplasmosis result, laboratory and accession number. Testing shall completed on a blood sample collected within one (1) year prior to entry onto the Congress show grounds and have been conducted by a laboratory certified and approved by the USDA.