CFIA-ACIA National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity User Guide for the Equine Sector 1 Table of contents Section 1: Glossary ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Section 2: Introduction and background .................................................................................................. 11 2.1 What is biosecurity? ............................................................................................................... 11 Spot the biosecurity concerns............................................................................................................. 13 Figure 1: Identify the biosecurity concerns ........................................................................................ 14 Figure 2: Identify the biosecurity concerns ........................................................................................ 16 2.2 Why is equine biosecurity important? ..................................................................................... 18 Figure 3: Your horse – Part of a larger herd ........................................................................................ 20 2.3 Who is this document for? ...................................................................................................... 20 2.4 What is the purpose of this guide? .......................................................................................... 21 2.5 Organization of the guide ........................................................................................................ 21 Section 3: Farm and facility specific biosecurity plan .......................................................................... 22 3.1 Developing your farm or facility biosecurity plan ..................................................................... 22 3.2 Cover your bases – Biosecurity: A cycle of activities ................................................................. 24 Figure 4: Cycle of biosecurity activities ............................................................................................... 24 Section 4: Principles of infection prevention and control programs............................................... 26 Figure 5: The disease triad .................................................................................................................. 26 4.1 Sources of pathogens .......................................................................................................... 27 4.2 Methods of transmission ........................................................................................................ 28 Figure 6: The status and spectrum of disease outcomes ................................................................... 29 4.3 General concepts of infection prevention and control .............................................................. 30 Section 5: Preventive horse health management program ................................................................. 34 5.1 Communication ................................................................................................................... 34 Figure 7: Example of a simple disease communication and response strategy ................................. 35 5.2 Horse (herd) health management program. .................................................................... 37 5.3 Monitoring and maintaining animal health. ..................................................................... 38 5.4 Disease response and emergency preparedness protocols. ............................................ 39 Disease response ................................................................................................................................ 40 Non-disease response – Emergency preparedness action plan (for example, flood, fire, natural disaster)............................................................................................................................................... 42 Section 6: New horses, returning horses, visiting horses, movements and transportation .... 43 6.1 New horses (purchase consideration), new arrivals, and returning horses .............. 43 2 | P a g e 6.2 Visiting horses ................................................................................................................ 47 6.3 Movement within the farm or facility ........................................................................... 48 6.4 Attendance at events ...................................................................................................... 48 6.4.1 Responsibility of the custodian .................................................................................... 48 6.4.2 Responsibility of the event organizer ......................................................................... 49 6.5 Transportation ............................................................................................................... 50 Section 7: Access management ..................................................................................................................... 51 7.1 Movement onto and within farms and facilities (zones) .................................................. 51 Figure 8: Zoning on a horse facility ..................................................................................................... 53 Figure 9: Zoning on a horse facility ..................................................................................................... 54 7.2 Procedures for moving between zones ............................................................................. 55 Section 8: Farm and facility management ................................................................................................. 58 8.1 Feed, water, and bedding .................................................................................................... 58 8.2 Property and pest management ......................................................................................... 60 8.4 Interior and perimeter fencing .......................................................................................... 64 8.5 Cleaning and disinfection of barns and equipment .......................................................... 65 8.6 Barn maintenance, ventilation and wash stalls ................................................................ 66 8.7 Manure management .......................................................................................................... 67 8.8 Garbage management ......................................................................................................... 68 8.9 Deadstock management ..................................................................................................... 69 Figure 10: Example of facility layout and paddock separation ........................................................... 70 Section 9: Biosecurity awareness, education and training ................................................................. 71 9.1 Leadership and biosecurity awareness ............................................................................. 71 9.2 Education and training ....................................................................................................... 71 Section 10: Farm and facility location, design, layout and renovations to existing facilities. 74 Annex 1: Development of the user guide and acknowledgements ................................................... 77 Annex 2: Important infectious diseases of horses in Canada ............................................................. 78 Annex 3: Self-evaluation checklist for risk assessment ........................................................................ 81 Annex 4: Conducting a horse health check ............................................................................................... 91 Annex 5: Horse Health Exam Record ........................................................................................................... 94 Annex 6: Vitals Exam Record .......................................................................................................................... 95 Annex 7: Sample horse event participant declaration .......................................................................... 96 Annex 8: Sample letter to participant ......................................................................................................... 97 3 | P a g e Annex 9: Incoming horse protocol and checklist .................................................................................... 99 Annex 10: Additional guidance on vaccination ..................................................................................... 100 Annex 11: Additional guidance on parasite control programs ........................................................ 102 Annex 12: Important gastro-intestinal nematode parasites of horses in Canada .................... 104 Annex 13: Separating sick horses ............................................................................................................... 105 Annex 14: Selected disinfectants ................................................................................................................ 107 Annex 15: Cleaning and disinfecting procedures ................................................................................. 109 4 | P a g e Section 1: Glossary Access management: Controlling the movement of horses, equipment, vehicles, and people