International Cross-border Movements of Horses in the State of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil: Zoonoses, Biosafety, and Biodefense.

Abstract

There is a growing integration between countries on the same continent in search of solutions to various issues, including food and technology. In this exchange scenario, countries and their populations are exposed to the spread of zoonoses and pathological agents, including bioterrorism. Rio Grande do Sul (RS) actively participates in the foreign trade of horses, and its modes of transport facilitate territorial capillarity. Equine piroplasmosis is a zoonosis that causes several economic losses and poses a danger to the human component involved in the process. At the borders of RS, the movement of horses is significant, in the last five years the movements of approximately one thousand horses have been declared, with the Crioulo and Thoroughbred Horses being the most sought after, due to misuse and smuggling an estimated 50% of these numbers for more. For an effective Biological Defense at the borders of the RS, it would be necessary at least one of the Agricultural Security and Defense Units, in the places with the highest traffic, equipped with laboratories, animal quarantine, and specialized personnel. That would have physical control actions and monitoring and gathering information, which can be performed with other species of animals and plants.