Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
J Equine Vet Sci. 2023 Feb;121:104208. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104208. Epub 2022 Dec 31.
There is a lack of information on the number of horses shipped globally by air annually, the purpose of air travel and the routes of their journeys. This pilot study aimed to collect retrospective data on the international movements of horses by air from 2018 to 2021, describe their routes, and identify the possible effects of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Equine transport data was gathered from 7 of 15 international shipping companies (ISCs) and 5 of 8 airlines contacted by email. The seven ISCs performed a median of 10,401 horse movements annually, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand movements per company, most frequently in Europe (Western and Northern Europe), Middle East/Africa (Middle East, Southern Africa), Asia Pacific (Australia), and the Americas (North and South America). The five airlines performed a median of 10,656 horse movements annually, importing and exporting horses to and from Europe, North America, Australasia, and the Middle East. For all but one airline, the number of horse movements decreased in 2020. The number and journey characteristics of horses transported by air require further scientific studies focused on the epidemiological and welfare risks unique to this type of transport to enable the development and implementation of best practices and regulations based on objective evidence.
目前全球每年通过空运运输的马匹数量、空运目的及运输路线等信息十分有限。本研究旨在回顾性收集 2018 年至 2021 年期间国际空运马匹的数据，描述其运输路线，并确定新型冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2（COVID-19）大流行可能产生的影响。通过电子邮件联系了 15 家国际运输公司（ISCs）中的 7 家和 8 家航空公司，获取了马运输数据。7 家 ISC 每年平均执行 10401 次马匹运输任务，每家公司的运输量从几百到几千次不等，最常运输的地区为欧洲（西欧和北欧）、中东/非洲（中东、南非）、亚太地区（澳大利亚）和美洲（北美和南美）。5 家航空公司每年平均执行 10656 次马匹运输任务，主要涉及欧洲、北美、澳大拉西亚和中东的进出口业务。除了一家航空公司，其他航空公司的马匹运输数量在 2020 年均有所减少。空运马匹的数量和运输路线特点需要进一步的科学研究，重点关注此类运输方式特有的流行病学和福利风险，以便根据客观证据制定和实施最佳实践和法规。
