Day: July 28, 2011

More people being tested for Hendra

More people are being tested for the Hendra virus after the rapidly spreading infection claimed a fifth horse in NSW, taking the national toll to 15. The horse died at a property near Mullumbimby on the NSW north coast, the Department of Primary Industries confirmed on Thursday. Four other horses along with three cats and two dogs on the property will be assessed on the quarantined property. A NSW health spokesman said three people had been exposed to the virus in the most recent incident in NSW. “Despite the negligible exposure, the three people are having blood

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Racing Commission meet in Saratoga to discuss Lasix

On Tuesday morning, the Drug Testing Standards and Practices Committee of the Association of Racing Commissioners International met in Saratoga to hear from a variety of racing industry representatives about the use of furosemide in Thoroughbreds on racedays. Furosemide, also known as Lasix or Salix, is a diuretic frequently administered to horses in order to mitigate exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), commonly known as bleeding. Nearly all horses in the United States race on furosemide. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association held a similar meeting at Belmont Park last month, bringing together horsemen, veterinarians, scientists, and racing executives from

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Arizona Stallion Reported Positive for CEM

“This disease can be carried by stallions and mares, and transmitted even through modern breeding practices of artificial insemination and embryo transfer,” said John Hunt, DVM, ADA associate director for animal services. “Because many animals don’t show symptoms, CEM can be difficult to detect and control.”

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