THREE horses have died and another three fallen sick after a suspected salmonella outbreak at the Miami Animal Import Center which has been temporarily shut down to new arrivals of horses.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIS) reported that the Miami Animal Import Center will be temporarily closed to new arrivals of horses beginning on January 19th to March 31st. APHIS is investigating to determine the specific cause but salmonella is suspected, and the facility is stepping up biosecurity and taking additional precautions to prevent any further disease spread.

Environmental testing is underway and the samples will be sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for diagnostic testing.

Six horses fell sick with symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever and lameness. Three of the horses died and the other three are recovering.

The shutdown will affect horses travelling to the Winter Equestrian Festival, the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

KILLER DROUGHT

Over 90 wild horses died this week in the Australian outback during an extreme heatwave. Rangers found dead and dying animals in a dried-up waterhole near the Santa Teresa area in Central Australia.

Close to 40 horses had already died from dehydration and starvation, while the decision was made to cull another 50, amid the record-breaking heatwave.