Did You Know? Diseases You Can Catch From Your Horse

No, that title isn’t meant to frighten or shock you, but hopefully it caught your attention. If you spend any time around horses, there’s a good chance of exposure to sick or injured ones. Did you know that they can pass along to you some of the ailments they catch?

Zoonotic diseases transmit between animals and people. Though there are many of these, this article will discuss only a few of the more common ones.

You’re probably most familiar with rabies. Rabies is a virus transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually passed on through a bite or scratch. Rabies is nearly 100% fatal in animals and humans. What makes rabies tricky is that it can present itself in different ways. For instance, one horse may act colicky before displaying neurological symptoms. Another horse may spike a fever and go off its feed and later show the classic “rabid” behavior. For this reason, rabies is nicknamed “the great imitator.” Regardless, the best defense against rabies is vaccination.

Salmonellosis from the Salmonella bacteria causes diarrhea and septicemia in horses. Humans typically expose themselves by direct, fecal-oral contact or contact with contaminated materials. Isolate foals and horses with diarrhea and use separate tools, clothing, etc. when caring for them. Most importantly, wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Cryptosporidiosis causes severe diarrhea in humans. This disease occurs from the protozoal intestinal parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum. Foals may pass C. parvum in their feces without appearing sick, yet people in contact with these foals can become ill. If you spend a lot of time with foals, make it habit to always wash your hands.

Following these simple precautions can keep you healthy, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your horse.

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