Reinventing Biosecurity: VetTrue™ Remote Horse Thermometer System Used Successfully in EHV-1 Management

A New Approach to Temperature Monitoring

Monitoring a horse’s temperature during any infectious disease event is essential, as fever is often the earliest indicator of viral infection. Traditionally, this involves frequent manual checks using a rectal thermometer, which is labour-intensive and increases contact between staff and potentially infected animals.

In a novel approach, the farm equipped three stallions and seventeen close-contact mares with the VetTrue™ System to enable continuous, remote temperature monitoring. Because EHV-1 has a short incubation period, any additional infected horses would typically show fever within days. By using a remote monitoring system, staff could rapidly identify abnormal temperature trends and intervene early.

Results: No Further Horses Affected

Over a seven-day monitoring period, no fevers were detected and no additional horses became ill with EHV-1. The VetTrue™ System provided staff with real-time reassurance that the disease was not spreading, while generating a complete and tamper-proof temperature record for each horse.

Biosecurity Benefits and Reduced Labour

The VetTrue™ System significantly reduced the need for twice-daily manual thermometer readings, saving valuable staff time. Importantly, remote monitoring also reduced the amount of direct handling required, supporting stronger biosecurity and minimising opportunities for disease transmission between horses.

This case represents the first known use of a remote horse temperature monitoring system during a suspected infectious disease outbreak. The successful integration of the VetTrue™ System highlights its value as an innovative, practical tool for improving outbreak response, protecting horse health, and strengthening on-farm biosecurity.