Be aware of the CEM-threat

by Izak Hofmeyr

The equestrian community, and specifically owners of breeding stallions, were stunned recently when it was announced that contagious equine metritis (CEM) was confirmed in South Africa in April this year.

In terms of section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act 35 of 1984) , the director of animal health, Dr Mpho Maja, issued an order that every owner or manager of a stallion in the country, irrespective of breed, has to be tested for CEM before it may be used for breeding or semen collection.

The reason for this, according to the director, was to determine the extent of the infection and to protect the equine industry in South Africa. Every stallion has to be tested at least twice at an interval of no less than seven days and have negative results for both CEM tests prior to breeding or semen collection. An official CEM clearance certificate will only be issued by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the Equine Research Centre, once two negative tests have been done.

CEM was first confirmed in South Africa in April 2011 and reported to the OIE in May 2011. Prior to this, South Africa was considered free of CEM. At this stage there is no reason to believe that CEM is widespread in the country. If the disease can be detected before any further spread, it can be contained and eradicated and the country will be able to regain its CEM-free status.

The director encourages all mare owners to be vigilant this coming breeding season and to ascertain that a stallion has a CEM clearance certificate prior to mating or using the semen on their mares. Any owner or manager of a mare who wants to check whether a stallion has tested negative for CEM and has been issued with an official CEM clearance certificate, can do so by checking the information on the website www.cemsa.co.za

The origins of CEM

CEM is an acute, highly contagious venereal disease of equines and zebras caused by a gram negative bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis. It is characterised by a mucopurulent vaginal discharge and early return to oestrus in most affected mares. Infected stallions and chronically infected mares may not show clinical signs.

CEM is considered to be of high significance due to the massive economic losses that can be associated with the disease as a result of its devastating effects on reproductive efficiency of affected equines. These losses are related to the mare's inability to conceive, embryonic loss, and costs related to repeat breeding and treatment. CEM is an OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) listed disease and has an impact on a country's ability to trade.

All stallions must be screened for CEM annually from 1 July to 31 September, prior to the breeding season. This instruction is valid until the director of animal health declares South Africa free of CEM.

A Procedural Manual for Screening Stallions for CEM has been compiled which explains how veterinarians should collect samples and how samples should be transported to the laboratory. This information is vital to ensure samples are collected and transported correctly and can be obtained by e-mailing PA.DAH@daff.gov.za or AyandaMp@daff.gov.za or from the websites www.cemsa.co.za or www.daff.gov.za » Divisions » Food and Veterinary Services » Information » DAH Policy Documents » Procedure Manual Screening for CEM.

Do your bit

As a result of the economic consequences of CEM, it is in the interest of all horse owners to prevent the spread of CEM in South Africa. In terms of Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, it is the responsibility of owners of animals to take all reasonable steps to prevent the infection of animals with any animal disease or parasite and the spreading thereof. Testing stallions for CEM will be at the expense of individual owners.

In terms of the Animal Improvement Act, 1998 (Act 62 of 1998) the Registrar of the Act declared that an official CEM clearance certificate is a mandatory condition for any application made after 31 August 2011 for the registration of a donor stallion or a foal born as a result of a mating or artificial insemination after 31 August 2011.
Reporting procedure

According to Table 2 of the Animal Diseases Regulations, infected mares will have to be destroyed, while infected stallions will have to be castrated or destroyed. Any suspected cases have to be reported to the provincial state veterinarian, who in turn has to report it to the directorate of animal health of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The screening of stallions has to be done by a registered veterinarian, according to a specific prescribed prosedure and sent to the Equine Research Centre of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. A CEM clearance certificate will only be issued after the stallion shows no positive results on any of the swabs submitted on any occasion.

A current list of stallions that comply with the requirements for a clearance certificate, will be posted on the website
www.cemsa.co.za. Clearance certificates for stallion owners will also be available on the website, using a username and password to gain access.