With the support of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Equine Disease Communication Center is completing a study to determine the awareness and knowledge of biosecurity in the horse industry. Horse owners are needed help to assess the understanding and use of biosecurity for horses. The goal is to help protect horses from infectious diseases.
The survey takes 10 minutes with responses collected and tabulated by The Matrix Group, a professional firm with experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the equine industry. All the information from this survey is confidential. The summarized information will be shared with the horse industry and used to create educational information.
Terms covered in the survey and their definitions to consider when answering.
- Horse: Defined as any equid (horses, ponies, donkeys, mules)
- Non-Resident horse: A horse on the property for less than 30 days
- Infectious disease: Infectious diseases are disorders caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Infectious diseases can be passed from horse to horse, transmitted by insects or caused by consuming contaminated food or water or being exposed to organisms in the environment.
- Biosecurity: A set of management and physical measures designed to reduce the risk of introduction, establishment and spread of animal diseases, infections or infestations to, from and within an animal population.
- Isolation or Isolate: Horses separated from other horses with no opportunity for direct contact.
- Disease outbreak: A disease outbreak is the occurrence of disease cases in excess of what is normally expected.
