title: Fallen stock data: An essential source of information for quantitative knowledge of equine mortality in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quantitative information about equine mortality is relatively scarce, yet it could be of great value for epidemiological purposes. In France, data from rendering plants are centralised in the Fallen Stock Data Interchange database (FSDI), managed by the French Ministry of Agriculture, while individual equine data are centralised in the French equine census database, SIRE, managed by the French horse and riding institute (IFCE).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the combined use of the FSDI and SIRE databases can provide representative and accurate quantitative information on mortality for the French equine population and to propose enhancements of these databases to improve the quality of the resulting demographic information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mortality ratios for the French equine population were calculated per year between 2011 and 2014 and temporal variations in equine mortality modelled during the same period. Survival analyses were performed on a sample of equines traceable in both the FSDI and SIRE databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estimates of the annual mortality ratios varied from 3.02 to 3.40% depending on the years. Survival rates of equines 2-years-old and over differed according to breed categories with the highest median age at death for the ponies. The weekly description of mortality highlighted marked seasonality of deaths whatever the category of equines. Modelling temporal variations in equine mortality also brought to light excess mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insufficient traceability of equines between the two databases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FSDI database provided an initial approach to equine death ratios on a national scale and an original description of temporal variations in mortality. Improvement in the traceability of equines between the FSDI and SIRE databases is needed to enable their combined use, providing a representative description of equine longevity and a more detailed description of temporal variations in mortality.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Equine Diseases, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Goustranville, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tapprest
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Lyon, Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morignat
authors.affiliation: French horse and riding institute (IFCE), Paris, France.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dornier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Equine Diseases, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Goustranville, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borey
authors.affiliation: Scientific Directorate for Laboratories, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Lyon, Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hendrikx
authors.affiliation: French horse and riding institute (IFCE), Paris, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferry
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Lyon, Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Calavas
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Lyon, Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring / Q000662:veterinary*; D005602:France; D006736:Horses; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: epidemiological surveillance; horse; mortality; mortality ratio; temporal variation