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E QU I N E I N F L U E N Z A
SPRING 2011 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
10
Equine
Flu
in the UK
Flu is found worldwide, with the exception of
a few countries such as Australia and Iceland.
Regular outbreaks are reported in the UK,
with 10 reports in 2010 (see Table 1). For this
reason, it is vital to ensure that all horses are
protected against this important disease.
Vaccination is the best way of protecting your
horse against flu, and is mandatory for any
horse competing under Jockey Club or FEI rules.
Flu
is evolving...
One of the characteristics of the viruses which
cause human and equine flu is that they tend to
mutate and change over time. This can cause
problems with vaccination, as the strains of flu
in the vaccines can go ‘out of date’, which
may result in less effective protection against
disease. This is the reason why human flu
vaccines are updated every year. It is also
recommended that equine flu vaccines are
updated regularly, to ensure the closest
possible match between the vaccine and the
strains of flu virus circulating in the environment.
‘Why should I vaccinate?’ I hear you cry!
Firstly your horse will feel exactly the same as
we do when we have the flu - rotten. Also,
in becoming infected your horse stands a
real chance of infecting many others with the
virus. Finally, as you are all probably aware,
to compete with your horse you will need an
up to date passport demonstrating your
horse's up to date vaccination status.
On
May 11th 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
LINCOLNSHIRE
On
May 21st 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
SHROPSHIRE
On
June 8th 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
SURREY
On
July 15th 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
On
August 13th 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
On
August 16th 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
WORCESTERSHIRE
On
August 25th 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE
On
September 2nd 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
HAMPSHIRE
On
September 3rd 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
CUMBRIA
On
November 3rd 2010
Equine flu was diagnosed in
LEICESTERSHIRE
Benefits
of vaccination
The benefits of vaccination were demonstrated
very publicly during the 2007 Australian
Equine Influenza outbreak. The horse
population in Australia had never been
exposed to equine flu before and as such,
no horses had been vaccinated. Some
infected horses entered an Australian
quarantine station near Sydney and the virus
escaped. The infection spread rapidly and
over 76,000 horses became infected,
located on more than 10,000 premises
throughout Queensland and New South
Wales. Vaccination, along with the restriction
of horse movement, stopped this infection in
its tracks and prevented the flu virus from
spreading all over Australia.
Nasal discharge, typical sign of a horse with
Equine Influenza.
Table 1:
Equine Flu outbreaks in the UK in 2010
FACT...
The number of horses vaccinated
in the UK is less than 40% and is
declining. If this continues we will
risk more frequent and larger
outbreaks. Please talk to your vet
about equine flu vaccination for
your horse.