EHV information seminar to be held in Regina

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Hugh Townsend of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) will give horse owners the facts about equine herpes virus during a public information seminar on Tuesday, April 22, in Regina, Sask.

The Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (FACS) is organizing the free, two-hour evening session in partnership with WCVM and the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association. Organizers are holding the seminar after a recent outbreak of equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) in the Saskatoon area caused concern among Saskatchewan’s horse community.

“The exemplary co-operation of horse owners involved in the recent outbreak has been so valuable in controlling the spread of EHV-1,” says Townsend, a professor in WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “Public awareness is a very effective way to minimize the disease’s risks.”

TIME, DATE AND LOCATION:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Cannington Room, Regina Inn
1975 Broad Street, Regina, Sask.
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

More than 300 horse enthusiasts heard Townsend speak at a similar session in Saskatoon last week, says Adele Buettner, executive director of FACS. “Based on the number of calls that FACS and our partners have received in recent weeks, we know it’s vital to keep horse owners well-informed about the precautions that can be taken to prevent the spread of EHV.”

“We encourage horse owners to attend this seminar and to talk to their own veterinarians about biosecurity measures for their farms and acreages,” says Dr. Curt Hagele, registrar of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association. “It’s important that we work together to manage these kinds of horse health issues.”