Rallying call to horse owners to take part in key project to protect equine and human health
An antibiotic resistance research team needs horse owners’ help to address gaps in knowledge
A rallying call has gone out to horse owners, to help in the fight against deadly antibiotic resistance.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and the University of Liverpool are inviting owners to take part in a study on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthy horses. H&H has reported on the need to tackle resistance, as the effects on human and animal health if antibiotics become ineffective could be catastrophic in future.
The HealthyHorseAMR project, led by the University of Liverpool and funded by the VMD, aims to identify the most effective methods for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in horses.
“AMR is recognised as one of the world’s most significant public health threats,” a VMD spokesperson said. “It occurs when bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, which can make infections difficult, or even impossible, to treat. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can also be found in healthy animals without causing disease, meaning animals can act as reservoirs of resistance that may spread to other animals or people.”
Register to take part in the project
The UK has a 20-year plan to “contain, control and mitigate” AMR by 2040. There are surveillance programmes in some livestock sectors but “gaps in our surveillance of companion animals and horses”.
“Monitoring AMR in healthy horses presents different challenges, and effective surveillance will require tailoring methods specifically to the equine sector,” the spokesperson said.
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“Latest estimates show that there are approximately 847,000 horses in the UK. This includes horses owned by around 374,000 households as well as those kept in professional settings such as racing yards. The close relationship between horses and the people who own, ride, and care for them creates opportunities for the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in either direction.”
Antibiotic resistance research: addressing the gap in horses
The research aims to address the gap by considering ways of collecting samples and identifying approaches to support future surveillance.
“This work will provide valuable evidence on AMR within the UK equine sector, helping researchers better understand how resistant bacteria circulate, and enabling the early identification of emerging resistance,” the spokesperson said.
Owners are invited to complete a questionnaire and provide faecal samples from their horses; those who register will be sent a postage-paid sampling kit.
Gina Pinchbeck, a professor in epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, said: “We are very excited to be working on this project.
“The HealthyHorseAMR project will provide much-needed up-to-date evidence and inform the best methods for horse recruitment and sampling for future surveillance efforts. This is an important step towards a one health AMR surveillance system in the UK, and we encourage everyone within the equine industry to get involved.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.