Biosecurity

Biosecurity and infection control are essential aspects at health care facilities, including an equine hospital such as ours. The hospital has a series of policies and procedures to minimise the risk of disease outbreaks.

We have a state-of-the-art specifically designated isolation facility for the investigation and hospitalisation of horses suspected or confirmed to have a contagious disease, such as strangles or salmonellosis. These horses pose a risk of passing potentially harmful infections to other horses in the hospital.

The isolation unit consists of a central examination area and four individual stables. Horses suspected of having a contagious disease are admitted to the isolation unit and any investigation is done in the examination area which includes a set of stocks and any equipment required to reach a diagnosis such as ultrasound and endoscopy.

Each stable contains an associated separated space for staff to put on personal protective equipment to avoid cross infection, hand washing facilities and space for storage of equipment. Only when tests for infectious agents have returned negative and we are reassured that the patient does not pose a risk to the rest of the horses, can a horse leave the isolation unit. These tests may include faecal analysis, for detection of diseases such as salmonella, or samples of the upper airway for diseases such as strangles or respiratory viruses.

Frequent swabbing of the isolation and main hospital facilities is carried out to make sure that the hospital environment remains free of infectious organisms and to guide our disinfection procedures.