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I was just wondering if the real outbreak has already taken place or if it’s still a week or two away from us. Testing in 174 yards with up to 10,000 horses being involved surely can’t be done until next Wednesday. But, it was a very good and quick reaction from trainers and the BHA which might save this years Festival after all.
An insider of a yard told me that is likely that it drags longer than Wednesday. We will see.
Logistically with the sheer number of samples that have to be checked and the additional tests that now have to be completed (with further yards going into lockdown) surely this means that it is a no brainer that the BHA will have to extend the suspension of racing (at the very minimum) to the end of next week and more likely into the following week.
The suspicious case not connected to the McCain yard is a major worry if confirmed as a positive test as that will likely kick off a whole new round of testing.
Some further info on the Suffolk cases and sadly others
https://www.aht.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Equiflunet-outbreaks-2019-v3.pdf
Equiflunet have reported a few outbreaks in different parts of Europe also the last few weeks.
Have the Irish started random testing yet? Just to make sure that no trainers, stable staff or horses that travelled to GB had contact with the new strain. It wouldn’t be that insane to think of doing it…
The vaccines are not updated as frequently as human ones, but this is because the rate of antigenic drift in equine flu viruses is generally slower. When they update, incidentally, they use the current strains on the other side of the world as the baseline rather than those in the local population, as these are the ones that are most likely to cause problems if they somehow manage to make it across the Atlantic. The strain that caused an outbreak in Newmarket a few years ago apparently originated in Kentucky.
In the same way, apparently, humans in this country get vaccines based on flu strains in the far east, and vice versa. Clever stuff.
Good stuff, botchy.
Apparently there are some cases in the western part of Europe, not only in TBs. And by the look of things, testing takes more than just a week, considering the case discovered on January 31st (Leicestershire in a vaccinated horse) where they still have to determine the strain.
Im leaning more towards twisters view, yes equine flu spread is a worry
But at the same time the vaccinations will still work against it limiting it to non life threatning which it mostly is anyway, sometimes its best to just let it run and the ones that get sick, build there own immunity to it once they get over it… the ones who dont, fine, i do agree with the shutdown for a few days but i do think its getting taken to the extreme now….
I have been away from this all day but on catching up it’s interesting that some leading trainers are now criticising the BHAs decision (link also includes more from the vet, Ramzan):
Meanwhile, apart from 3 more at McCain’s, there is an unrelated suspicious case and Rebecca Menzies is worried about 3 isolated (from her main yard) horses.
We may be on the tip of a major outbreak so I still think the BHA has done the right thing. The trainers who are getting antsy about missed opportunities in the short term would not like it if racing had continued and swathes of horses at numerous yards came down with equine flu at various times over the next couple of months thus ruling them out of important future engagements. We will do well to see a resumption in time for next weekend.
There are two things. I would still like to see dispensation given to allow horses to run in races in respect of which the shutdown has denied them the opportunity to qualify for. And my biggest worry remains the likelihood of the BHA repeating this shutdown at any time after resumption when a new case of flu comes to light. One way or another (cancellation/horses ill or missed time due to being ill/horses unable to qualify/horses unable to have prep race) this is already going to affect Cheltenham and other major festivals. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we see cases in Ireland shortly.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if we see cases in Ireland shortly.
Looks like it has already happened a few weeks ago.
http://www.irishequinecentre.ie/Content/pdf/18th%20Jan%202019%20Equine%20Influenza%20Alert.pdf
Regarding the situation in Ireland, we have been asked to present passports when declaring at pt to pts, and have to have vaccinated for clade 1 in the last 8 weeks (mandatory from 18th February). Other than that there is very little being done. Wit asked about the timeline for vaccinations earlier in the thread – after an initial course of three injections (the first dose, then one after 21-92 days, and a third after 150-215 days), we must do the booster within one year every year.
He said: “It’s a massive overreaction. All horses are vaccinated, and so when they do get it, it’s not really anything to worry about. They get sick, but not that sick – just a snotty nose and temperature.
Interesting to read Twister’s opinion on that. Just a snotty nose and temperature. How many times is the average punter informed about a snotty nose and temperature when it doesn’t involve a top horse from a top stable?
Some yards and most of their horses seem to have subscribed to the virus for years, if you look at the past two decades. What does the term “a quiet time” actually mean when trainers use it so much? Is it the “non-trying and getting them well handicapped” period or “have they been under a cloud” due to some influenza virus or other bugs?I don’t get his reaction and criticism of the BHA at all. It looks to me as some trainers don’t take it that seriously.
Only for this episode in recent days, I’d never have realised how many equine flu experts are members of this forum
Who said there an expert wex? Do you not have an opinion on it?
Im not an equine vet, but i work with respiratory infections on a daily basis, i would say your more than entitled to form an opinion on it as the flu is a pretty common respiratory infection with all animals…
Close the thread guys.. ‘thewexfordman’ doesn’t want anyone to discuss this unless you’re a fully qualified equine vet. Yet he still took the time to read the whole thread and post a pointless pedantic comment. Maybe wex is a horse vet and knows better
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