Coronavirus and Horses
There have been queries raised to me as to whether Covid 19 can be spread between horses and humans, due to the virus being Zoonotic (Zoonotic meaning it is transferred between animals and humans). To date there has been no evidence to suggest that horses can catch or spread Covid-19, according to several international health organisations. Horses however can fall victim to Equine Coronavirus (ECoV), which is a gastrointestinal disease in the horse, and this is where the confusion may lie. There is no evidence to suggest that this can be transmitted to humans. ECoV is transmitted via the oral-faecal route between horses and the symptoms include anorexia, lethargy, fever, loose, watery faeces, colic and encephalopathy (circling, seizures etc). Although it has not been evident that you can transmit Covid 19 to your horse or vice versa, there are a number of other zoonotic diseases that although rare, can be transmitted between humans and horses, and you should be aware of them:
1. Ringworm (or Dermatophytosis) is a fungal skin infection that presents as a pink, hairless circle on the skin. Transmission occurs via direct contact with the skin so wear gloves when handling infected horses to avoid catching it. If we treat a horse with ringworm as equine dentists we must make sure all of our equipment is cleaned thoroughly between patients. After triple cleaning with soap and water, a solution such as Virkon must be used to kill the ringworm.
2. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection which is spread through the urine of other animals such as rats. Leptospirosis can affect your horse, your pets and even yourself. If left untreated, Leptospirosis can cause renal failure, liver damage, blindness, damage to the red blood cells and abortion in in pregnant mares. Leptospirosis can also be very dangerous to pregnant women so it is important to be aware of the risks and know how to protect yourself from transmission. People acquire the infection by oral ingestion and contact with contaminated urine, placenta and fetal tissues. Although it is very rare to catch Leptospirosis from a horse it is important to know the risks, as the organism can infect a human through broken skin.
3. Rabies is incredibly uncommon in horses but it does occur. Rabies is transmitted through saliva however rabies has been eradicated in the UK except for in bats.
4. MRSA is a superbug in horses. MRSA stands for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and it is possible to contract the bug through open wounds on the horse. Therefore it is very important to take stringent hygiene measures when dealing with infected wounds.
5. Anthrax is a notifiable animal disease and must be reported immediately if found. It is a naturally occurring disease caused by bacteria found in the environment. There was an outbreak in the UK in 2015 and the disease can affect horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and humans. Anthrax can cause death in horses and the clinical signs are hot, painful swellings in the throat area and sudden colic pain. Anthrax is spread when the spores are inhaled, ingested or when they come into contact with open sores.
6. Salmonellosis is a disease caused by Salmonella bacteria, which is most commonly spread through contaminated food. Salmonella can also spread from animals, including horses, to people and between people. Salmonellosis is usually spread through the oral-faecal route.
7. Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by parasites named Cryptosporidium and the parasites have a life cycle that can be completed in humans and horse. The disease cryptosporidiosis is spread from person to person or horse to person after the parasites are shed into the environment; they may be found in soil, food, water, or on surfaces that have been contaminated with faeces from infected humans or animals.
8. Hendra virus is a zoonotic virus which is thought to originate from fruit bats. In horses it produces an initial respiratory infection which can progress to neurological signs and total systemic failure. These are mirrored in human infection, and the virus is transmitted from hoses to humans through bodily fluids and excretions. Luckily the virus is not present in the UK, but as a horse dentist working in Australia, I did had to be very careful about examining horses for any symptoms before treatment and use a Hibitane solution for cleaning my equipment between patients.
9. Brucellosis is a bacterial disease of significant historical importance that still exists in certain populations of animals. Horses are relatively resistant to infection; however, disease can occur, and brucellosis can be transmitted from horses to humans. Brucellosis is caused by the gram-negative coccobacillus Brucella abortus, and equine disease is most manifested as fistulous withers, poll evil, or fistulous bursitis. Zoonotic transmission from horses is not considered high risk; however, appropriate precautions should be taken.
The above diseases, although uncommon, can have serious complications to humans including death. Persons with medical conditions such as immunodeficiencies or pregnancy are at a higher risk of developing diseases or complications arising from transmission from horses. Transmission of zoonotic diseases from horses is primarily through direct contact or contaminated objects, urine or faeces, or inhalation of aerosolized materials. It is important to protect yourself by transmission by the following procedures:
· Do not eat, drink or touch your face while handling horses or nearby horses, and make sure you thoroughly wash your hands before you do so after handling horses.
· Avoid bite wounds and other injuries and if they do occur, thoroughly wash them and report the injury
· Do not wear sandals or bare feet around horses
· Wear gloves and respiratory protection when appropriate.
· Keep horse areas clean and disinfect equipment after use.
· If you are a horse dentist, wear gloves where appropriate and use a very strong antibacterial in your bucket such as Hexarinse. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands and equipment after each patient with Chlorhexidine.
Coronaviruses are called so because of the crown like spikes on its surface
