Equine Flu update

Equine flu update - 19 June

 

Earlier this week we informed you about a confirmed case of equine influenza in a horse that had been purchased and brought to Britain from the Goffs Arkle sale in Kildare Paddocks.

Again, our sincere thanks to Mel and Phil Rowley for their prompt action to spot the signs of infection, test the horse and report the findings. 

And our thanks to the wider training community for the cooperation, engagement and responsible action shown during a challenging situation.

Tracing horses and determining risk

The BHA has been working through a process of tracing the horses that travelled on the same lorry as the infected horse, and other horses that were purchased at the Goffs Sales that have been transported to Britain.

Through this process we have been able to identify the training yards at potential risk and eliminate those that are at minimal or no risk.

This work has given us increased confidence that there are very few yards at heightened risk of exposure to the virus. This is principally due to the vigilance shown by trainers in ensuring that horses are isolated from their established herd.

Managing risk and testing runners

Where we have identified horses that may present an increased risk, we are dealing with these on a case-by-case basis and according to the individual circumstances and the isolation measures that are in place.

There are a small number of instances where yards that are at a slightly higher level of risk of exposure to the virus hold or have held race entries in the coming week.

These horses have either been withdrawn from the race in which they were entered out of an abundance of caution, or the BHA has required the yard to undertake PCR testing to be satisfied there is no risk of spreading the virus.

We feel this is the right approach, primarily due our vaccination regime and the protection this affords, but also because of the high standard of biosecurity measures that trainers have in place.

This is an approach that has been informed and endorsed by independent infectious disease experts, including Dr Richard Newton, and is supported by the BHA’s veterinary group, which includes stakeholder and independent representatives.

Monitoring and continued vigilance

We will continue to monitor this situation closely and work with stakeholders and industry participants to ensure that we are applying sensible, proportionate and effective biosecurity measures to stop the virus spreading.

We urge everyone in British racing to be particularly vigilant during the period of heightened risk. Please continue to follow best practice infection control advice, especially around vaccinations and avoiding any mixing of horses from licensed and non-licensed premises.

Vaccination remains one of the best protections we have against the virus. It reduces the risk, lessens the severity of illness and helps limit any spread of infection.

Despite the huge benefits of vaccination, we must also prevent exposing the thoroughbred racing herd to sick horses or those that are potentially shedding the virus.

Any new horse entering your yard from the sales, pre-training or elsewhere must be fully vaccinated, isolated for a minimum of 14 days and monitored daily for signs of infection. These include a raised temperature (above 38.5°C), a harsh cough, nasal discharge, lethargy or loss of appetite.

If trainers and teams are concerned about any signs, either in a horse that’s in isolation or more significantly within your yard, please contact your veterinary surgeon immediately and notify the BHA.

This is how we protect the thoroughbred racing herd and ensure that racing continues without interruption. More detailed advice is available here on the BHA website.

Thank you again for your cooperation and support as we work together to protect British racing and the thoroughbred herd.

For any immediate questions, please contact: [email protected].