HorsesDaily: AHP - The Horse to conduct EPM, West Nile Virus, and Foot and Mouth Disease Seminar at Kentucky Horse Park

The Horse to conduct EPM, West Nile Virus, and Foot and Mouth Disease Seminar at Kentucky Horse Park

LEXINGTON, KY -April 16, 2001 - The Horse, a monthly all-breed, all-discipline equine magazine dedicated to providing equine professionals with the latest news and information on the health, care, welfare, and management of horses, will conduct a free seminar for horse owners and industry professionals addressing EPM, West Nile, and Foot and Mouth disease concerns. The seminar will be Friday, April 27, 2001, at the Kentucky Horse Park Visitor's Information Center from 5-7 pm. The seminar coincides with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event at the horse park. Speakers will include Dr. Bill Saville, of The Ohio State University, and Dr. Peter Timoney, of the Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington.

"There's a great deal of concern in the world about these particular diseases at the moment. We want to help educate the industry and the general public to the cause and effect so that people can take the proper precautions to reduce or avoid the spread," said Kim Graetz, editor of The Horse. "This is especially important here in Kentucky, the horse capital of the world. The Kentucky Horse Park is the perfect setting to address such alarming issues."

Background: Foot and Mouth Disease: The last major outbreak of foot and mouth disease was in Europe in the late 1960s. While this disease doesn't cause illness in horses, the equine industry is suffering world-wide because of the inability to move horses within the European Union and among overseas countries for competition and sale.

West Nile: This deadly disease affects horses, humans, and other animals. While it appears with regularity in other parts of the world, the first case in the United States occurred in 1999. It is predicted to appear in Ohio this year, and possibly in Kentucky by next year.

EPM: Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is the number one cause of neurologic problems in horses. Caused by a single-celled parasite, EPM can cause minor coordination problems, severe gait deficits, or death. Some horses recover only to relapse and have symptoms again when taken off of treatment, and some horses never recover fully.

About the Speakers: Dr. Bill Saville, of The Ohio State University, was part of the team that in the laboratory solved the life cycle of the parasite that causes EPM, which should lead to faster advances in determining how to prevent and treat this devastating disease. Dr. Saville will provide an update on the latest in EPM research.

Dr. Peter Timoney, head of the Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington, Ky., is a world-renowned researcher in infectious and contagious diseases. He worked as a veterinarian for the government in Ireland during the foot and mouth outbreak in the late 1960s, and has a global perspective on the disease.

Representatives from various industry groups and pharmaceutical companies will be in attendance to answer questions from the audience after the official program.

For additional information, contact: Robert Bolson, Tel.: (859) 276-6809, e-mail rbolson@bloodhorse.com or visit The Horse Web site at www.thehorse.com.