MAFBNZ and NZEHA work together to prevent and control equine disease
Equine Industry Survey
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) and the New Zealand Equine Health Association (NZEHA) are working with AsureQuality to ensure New Zealand is ready to respond and recover from an equine disease outbreak or an emergency.
A project is underway to update information in the national database, AgriBase™, on the location and ownership of horses and donkeys in New Zealand. This is a collaborative project involving MAFBNZ, NZEHA and AsureQuality. The updated information will improve planning for an exotic disease outbreak or emergency and will be essential for efficient and effective responses.
AsureQuality provides MAFBNZ with exotic disease response capability. The AgriBase database, created specifically for biosecurity purposes and national land use monitoring activities, provides detailed information on animal ownership and geographic distribution. The current project has developed an equine-specific AgriBase registration form and has made it available online at www.asurequality.com (under Online Customer Services menu), in addition to mailing it to equine breed registry members.
Regular updates of the information in AgriBase are needed because the populations of horses and donkeys in New Zealand are very mobile, meaning locations and numbers can change widely from year to year. In 2005, NZEHA assisted MAFBNZ and AsureQuality in a similar effort and it was found that AgriBase only contained roughly half of the known equine properties at that time. The current project looks to expand the number of horse properties in AgriBase because there is significant public awareness around equine exotic diseases due to the Equine Influenza outbreak in Australia.
The outbreak in Australia has made many equine owners aware that, in the event of an exotic disease outbreak, it is vital that the number, location and ownership of all horses and donkeys can be quickly identified to enable rapid assessment of the spread of the disease and facilitate investigations, surveillance and response activities.
- Naya Brangenberg, Senior Adviser Animal
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Page last updated: 12 June 2008