1. THE DISEASES
Venereal diseases caused by the CEM organism, klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be very Contagious. They can cause loss of fertility in the mare. Infection is spread from the stallion/teaser to mare ort mare to Stallion/teaser during mating or teasing. The bacteria can also be spread via semen collected for Artificial Insemination (AL). Furthermore, it can be spread via human contact with horses and via equipment and water. Good hygiene practices are therefore essential - ask your veterinary surgeon for further advice.

2. SYMPTOMS
Mares: In severe cases, there is an obvious discharge from the vagina. In other cases, mares may be infected with less obvious symptoms, or with no symptoms at all. Any mares coming into season early, or breaking early in their cycle, should be viewed with suspicion.

Stallions/Teasers: Infected stallions/teasers do not usually show any symptoms at all.

3. DISEASE PREVENTION
Ask your veterinary surgeon to take swabs from your mares/stallions/teasers every year after January 1st but before starting mating/teasing, or collecting semen of Al, or inseminating semen. The swabs should be sent to a laboratory approved by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. Do not use the horse for mating, teasing or semen collection or insemination until the laboratory results are available. If the results are negative, the horse is not infected and can be used. If the results are positive, the horse is infected and must not be used for mating, teasing or semen collection or insemination until the infection has been treated successfully under the veterinary supervision. Further swabs will be needed to demonstrate that the infection has cleared up.

Mare owners: do not put your mare to a stallion or teaser or accept semen for Al unless the stallion/teaser has an up-to-date negative Laboratory Certificate.

Stallion and teaser owners: do not accept mares unless they have up-to-date negative Laboratory certificates.

Swabs Required-Mares: for most mares ('low risk' mare), 2 type of swab should be taken before the first mating in any year:
·Clitoral Swabs: Samples taken to determine if the clitoral fossa and sinuses are free from infection.
Endometrial swab: a sample taken the cervix when the mare is in season.

A further endometrial swab should be taken when a mare returns into season again and is to be presented for repeat mating.

For low risk mares, the stallion stud manager may, on veterinary advice, allow mating to proceed on the basis of satisfactory Results from aerobic culture of endometrial swabs if adequate clitoral swabbing has already been carried out and disease is not suspected. The microaerophilic endometrial swab results should still be sent to the stallion stud as soon as they are available so that disease transmission may be limited, should the results be positive.

Where mares have been in contact with CEM infection in the past, or have come from countries where CEM is endemic (high risk mares), 2 clitoral swabs and the endometrial swabs should be taken and all results obtained and transmitted to the stallion stud before the first mating.

For definitions of high risk and low risk, and for more detailed recommendations for mares 'walking-in' for mating, refer to the full codes of practice.

Swabs Required-Stallions and Teasers: swabs taken from the urethra, the urethral fossa and the sheath of the penis. Where possible, obtain pre-ejaculatory fluid too.

4. DISEASE CONTROL
Disease suspected/confirmed in mares, stallions or teasers BEFORE mating/teasing oral:
If the CEMO is suspected or conformed, seek veterinary advice and notify the MAFF Divisional Veterinary Manager IMMEDIATELY.
Isolate the mare or stallion/teaser and treat under veterinary supervision.

Disease suspected/confirmed in mares, stallions or teasers AFTER mating/teasing or Al: If the CEMO is suspected or confirmed, seek veterinary and notify the MAFF Divisional Veterinary Manager IMMEDIATELY.

Stop mating/teasing and collecting and inseminating semen for Al.
Isolate and treat the stallion or teaser and infected mare(s) under veterinary supervision.
Check all other mares which may have become infected and treat as needed.

Notify owners of mares which have already visited the stallion or teaser (including ones which have gone home) and Which are duet o visit him. Also notify people to whom semen from the stallion has been sent. Resume mating/teasing and collecting and inseminating semen for Al only after the veterinary surgeon has confirmed that all infection has cleared up.