This is the official document in regards to testing. Page 11 has a flow chart https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/downloads/testing-equidae-during-quarantine.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjq15-g-PHmAhUDr1kKHbHkCX0QFjABegQIDRAH&usg=AOvVaw1PRDBd48JDnsM9n-vMjcot
The USDA suggested a facility in Chicago and one in Miami. They have never moved a Glanders suspect horse from Jet Pets to another facility in California. It is up to the family to find a suitable facility and then the USDA will determine if it meets their protocols. It doesn’t look like there is any other suitable facility in CA.
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I’m not trying to be insensitive, but why doesn’t the family cut their losses at this point and send the horse back? They’ve got to be deep in this financially at this point, and is it really worth it?
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They may end up doing that, but the seller won’t take the horse back and it’s going to cost them $10-$12,000 to ship the horse back. All along the family has been wanting to get the horse treated on antibiotics so that it may affect the outcome of the CFT. This was finally accomplished last week. The vet also came out yesterday and gave him more antibiotics. The re-test is today, so fingers crossed…
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Keep us updated! I feel emotionally involved now.
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Crossing fingers it comes back negative and this nightmare is over for all involved. I can’t even imagine!
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Jingling for good test results!
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Ugh. I’m assuming it’s not cheap to fly a horse that needs to be quarantined from LA to Chicago or Miami, especially since that horse would presumably need a private flight.
Plus the stress to the animal of an additional trip.
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Jingles for the family and the horse. Thanks for the updates, @Temecula Jumper. I hope the family takes some consolation in the fact that their situation has been incredibly eye-opening and informative to those who choose to import.
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Update–this has got to be one of the more frustrating things Ive read lately. The poor family and horse
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Ugh. This is beyond horrible. And omg the $$ involved…
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CEM quarantine is an entirely different thing. All of the horses that go there have already been cleared by USDA quarantine. I am guessing the Chicago and Miami facilities are some of the other USDA locations. Not sure that would be any better for the horse in terms of facilities…best hope would just be the local vet there is more competent.
The poor poor horse and family! Lots of fingers and toes crossed for this to be the negative test!!
Thinking way outside the box - I know Canada importation has some leniency at accepting western blot over the CFT, if you could get the horse there? Or since you’re in So Cal, have you looked into Mexico’s import/export requirements? Is there any chance they would accept the horse and you could stash him somewhere in Mexico until he would be eligible for US import again?
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Any news on the test results yet?
The antibiotics have definitely helped; the CFT came back and his result dropped to a +1, the lowest it’s ever been since he’s been in quarantine. The family has been moving mountains to try to get the USDA to approve the horse to move to isolation at a vet hospital in Chino. The USDA vet finally agreed to inspect the location today and the family is anxiously awaiting his approval. Jet Pets wants the horse sent back to Europe ASAP or euthanized, so hopefully they can move him soon.
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They did inquire about this but were told Mexico and Canada wouldn’t permit entry either.
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For those of you who are thinking about importing, you can get a short term, taylor-made policy that covers just anything at this company:
Wondering if there is any update on this situation??
I was wondering about updates also. This has suddenly gone silent.
Update: the situation has gone downhill really quickly since the last test results. The USDA did approve the vet hospital in Chino, but sent them an extensive of requirements that had to be implemented before the horse could be moved there. This is the email from the USDA: [INDENT] [INDENT]1. The State Veterinarian of California must approve the moving of Hireno from a USDA permanent private quarantine facility to Chino Hills Equine Hospital.
2. USDA personnel will complete daily visits to ensure all facility and handling requirements are being upheld. User fees will be assessed at $132.00 per hour during business hours, $156 on weekdays outside of business hours and on Saturdays, and $176 per hour on Sundays, including travel time to and from the facility. We estimate it may take 3-5 hours each day as traffic and the location of the inspectors may vary. The user fees will be charged at the time the inspector departs their duty station until they return to the duty station.
3. Hireno is the only horse permitted in the isolation barn while being housed at Chino Hills Equine Hospital. A signed statement from Chino Hills Equine Hospital management agreeing to such will be required.
4. The facility must add acceptable screens to all open windows, doorways or other openings to prevent introduction of vectors.
5. All personnel handling Hireno are required to shower in and out before and after handling Hireno.
6. An enclosed ante room is required at the entrance of the isolation barn. USDA will accept a temporary wall or walls be added to create the needed anteroom, like a plastic lining or mesh screening, with the goal of dividing the ante room from the stall areas of the barn.
7. Protective Clothing Equipment (PPE) must be provided for all personnel handling Hireno. At minimum, PPE must include cloth or Tyvex coveralls, gloves, boots, and a face mask. These items must be put on in the ante room and removed after handling Hireno and before exiting the isolation.
[/INDENT]
[/INDENT]
The USDA told the family late last week that they are feeling harassed because the family calls daily requesting information on the testing protocols and wanting the full results of the horse’s bloodwork (which the USDA has still failed to supply). The USDA told them they may now only contact head vet Burke Healey and that the trainer (who has been helping them throughout this ordeal) is not allowed to contact him any longer. Healey told them on Saturday that the horse has Glanders, even though the horse tested a 1 on the last CFT following the course of antibiotics, and even though he has been negative on the Western Blot 8 times. Healy told them they will get one last test this week and then the horse has to either be euthanized or sent back to Europe. In light of the requirements the USDA gave them to approve the Chino facility, and the costs associated with making those changes, the family won’t be moving him since the USDA is only allowing the horse one more test.
Below is the last email from the trainer to Healey (the family wants this made public):
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹
Dr. Healey,
I know that you have asked for me not to contact you, but I have just had a discussion with Deanne and Gabby, and would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things. Deanne is still a bit under the weather from her own ordeal today, and Gabby is an emotional wreck, as expected from a 15 year old.
I am sure that you think we are nasty people with a certain agenda. Please understand, we are very good people who have been dealing with this for 7 plus weeks. We really do appreciate your involvement at this time, but our frustration has been building for close to two months. I am a horse trainer for the “middle class”! My clients don’t typically have the 6 figures to spend on show horses. When we pooled 36,000 together to purchase this horse, it was a stretch! The Farrells are a military family, Dan just retired after 30 years this past summer! We really thought we found Gabby the unicorn, that in the U.S. would easily cost 75,000 plus. I have, over the years, been involved in 30 horses purchased from overseas. I have never experienced anything like this!
For 7 weeks we have been misled and bullied by the people that were suppose to be helping us. When this horse had a temp of 103, they couldn’t get a veterinarian out to treat him! They had the power, not us. We finally had a real vet visit Hireno and within just 4 days his CFt test number lowered a drastic amount! We were so excited!!! We have been told by every professional that our horse does not have glanders, proved by the consistent negative western blot test. We have been told by vets, Drs within the USDA that the CFt test is flawed, but at a rate of 5 to 10% false positive, it is still considered 90% accurate. Cliff Williamson, from the American Horse Council, explained to me how he got the western blot test approved a few years ago as the first step to make glanders testing in the U.S. more accurate. He knows it’s a small step in the right direction, but not soon enough to save Hireno!
After having the very difficult conversation with Deanne and Gabby, we are requesting that Hirenos last CFt blood pull be moved up to Tuesday instead of Thursday. There does not seem a reason to delay the inevitable. I do truly believe that Hireno will eventually test negative to the CFt, as he has 8 times to the western blot. I believe the sudden reduction in his last CFt test was due to what ever bacteria his body has been fighting, is being treated by the antibiotics he was put on a week ago today! I am sure that the CFt test was picking up that bacteria, and that was causing his non-negative CFt test. Bacteria yes, glanders no. Deanne and I will work diligently Monday and Tuesday to find a lab that can perform an autopsy on Hireno. If the blood is pulled Tuesday, we will know by end of day Wednesday about his test. There is a small chance that this time around he will test negative, but I hold very little faith seeing that his body will have only had the antibiotics in for a week and a half.
Please help us have a lab in place that can take the body to dissect and prove one way or the other about his glanders diagnosis. It is important to us to know the truth. More importantly, however, I believe it is crucial for the USDA to know, for a fact, if he was truly positive for glanders. We are small timers, not terribly important to a government organization as large as the USDA, but, better testing and clearer results should be of upmost importance to the USDA.
Maybe Deanne, Hireno and myself were dealt this blow to be the catalyst for change. I know it won’t save Hireno, or Gabby for that matter. Please consider in your future testing protocol, that not all importers of horses are multi millionaire owners and olympians. Some of us are just small time trainers with a tall skinny girl who dreams of competing on a horse of her own. Please know that we have meant no ill will or to harass or bother you. We have fought for 7 weeks to save this horses life and the future riding of Gabby. We are out of money, and I’m sure you are out of time and patience. Unfortunately, Gabby is out of a horse. We just can’t go out and get her a new one. This was our chance.
My last request is that you please have all of Hirenos CFt and western blot tests, in their entirety, released to Deanne. We all need to understand where the testing went right or wrong dependent on the autopsy!
I really do appreciate you reading this email, as I know I am not on your “good” list. Please know my questioning and constant bothering was all I could do to try to get a better outcome! Hireno has been here for 7 weeks, we have never been able to meet him, touch or hug him, or tell him that we loved him. But we did! And we tried!
Sincerely and with upmost respect;
Mary Beth Molt
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