Text Alert Service to Fight EI
Tell Tail, the UK’s first equine influenza (EI) text alert service exclusively for equine vets, is set to provide practices and their clients with what could be invaluable information in the face of a potential outbreak, says Merial’s Dr Emma Batson. ”Vets will be notified of an EI outbreak within 48 hours of confirmed diagnosis. Not only will this allow them to alert their clients, but we believe that it will also help to encourage horse owners to become more compliant with vaccination schedules.
Dr Richard Newton, Head of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at the AHT, believes the text alert service will also help improve awareness and knowledge of EI, and he hopes all equine vets will sign up for the scheme: “We believe that the launch of the alert service for vets marks an important step in the quest to help minimise the risk of an EI outbreak in the UK.
“We hope that as well as allowing practices to track and respond to outbreaks in their area, the alerts will also encourage vets to send in samples from animals with cold and flu-like symptoms. This is a free service which in turn provides us with more information to circulate within the industry, allowing everyone to be more effective at managing the disease.
Tell Tail is a free service, to register their interest, all vets need to do is text their name, practice and postcode to 07797 801863 or visit www.merial.com and click on the Tell Tail link.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
