Could the flu be fatal and what are the symptoms?
The disease may be serious in unvaccinated horses, although symptoms in vaccinated horses are usually mild and transient. Symptoms may include a raised temperature, a cough and nasal discharge, and a horse’s performance is affected. It is highly contagious.
What is the treatment for infected horses and how long does it last?
Much the same as for human flu. Rest, and other medications for symptoms as needed. In vaccinated horses, typically 24-48 hours, though with performance potentially affected for several days, or sometimes weeks. If a horse is unvaccinated, it can range between 2 - 10 days.
Is there any risk to human health from the equine influenza virus?
There is no known human health risk associated with the virus.
How did the virus arrive in this country and how has it spread?
We are working to identify the most likely source of the outbreak, but we have not confirmed this yet. We expect there is a link between this outbreak and other recent outbreaks elsewhere in Europe.
When did you first know about this strain and what did you do?
We first became aware of the European outbreak in December 2018, and notices were issued by the BHA in relation to this. Trainers were advised to vaccinate any horses which had not been vaccinated in the previous six months.
What steps have you taken since being informed of the outbreak yesterday?
The first step was to call off racing. We have also stopped some Irish horses from returning home after racing in Britain on February 6. These horses are now in quarantine. We have put restrictions in place on horses from yards likely to have been in contact with horses from affected
