Moves made to minimise EI risk
In light of the recent equine influenza developments in North-Western France, the governing bodies for horse sports have teamed up with the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in order to minimise any risks associated with the disease between now and July.
EI infection can be transferred even in vaccinated horses, and taking precautions is paramount. Sports leaders and members of the veterinary profession are urged to take advantage of AHT's ongoing surveillance initiatives and established communications links with other notifications systems, to try and reduce the risk of EI entering the UK at this delicate time, when the Olympic Games just around the corner.
Dr Richard Newton, AHT Head of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, said that "using rapid and sensitive viral detection methods applied to respiratory samples (especially swabs from the nose and throat) has greatly improved the accuracy of diagnosing EI."
He added: "We feel that this heightened surveillance activity for what is probably the most potentially infectious and rapidly spreading equine infectious disease is particularly important at this time."
AHT will provide nasopharyngeal swabs and viral transport media to veterinary surgeons at no charge and no fees will be applied for the laboratory testing.
For more information on EI, click here.
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.
