thescienceofequus:

Via the American Association of Equine Practitioners FB Page | 28 Sept, 2021

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September 28 is #worldrabiesday. While the number of confirmed equine cases every year is low, talking about this disease remains important because of the potential for human exposure. As a matter of fact, human exposure to rabies does not have to involve a bite from an infected horse: contact of skin or mucosa with the horse’s saliva could transmit the disease.

Rabies can “look like anything,” with early signs ranging from colic to lameness to depression to agitation. There is no treatment or ante-mortem (prior to death) test, and once a horse shows signs of rabies it invariably dies within a few days.

Luckily, modern vaccines are very effective in providing rabies immunity; current AAEP recommendations list rabies as one of the “core vaccines” that should be given to all horses annually. Equine rabies is a real risk for all horses and a public health concern as well, so be sure to set up a regular vaccination schedule with your veterinarian. And remember — strange behavior on behalf of your horse is always a valid reason to call the doc!

Read more about rabies on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/rabies-has-many-faces

The full AAEP guidelines for vaccination for rabies and other infectious diseases of horses can be accessed here: https://aaep.org/guidelines/vaccination-guidelines

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