British Horseracing Authority finds no further cases of equine flu
Saturday 9 February 2019 15:59, UK
The British Horseracing Authority says no further cases of equine flu have been identified, other than the six horses in Donald McCain's yard.
The horses that have tested negative include those at Rebecca Menzies' yard. One of her horses had previously been identified as suspicious, and all horses at the yard will remain under close surveillance.
A total of 2,100 nasal swabs have so far been received by the Animal Health Trust (AHT), with 720 having been tested.
The BHA says the response to the flu outbreak remains ongoing, and the AHT expects to receive and test thousands more swabs in the coming days.
A decision will be made on Monday about the scheduling of upcoming races, and the BHA says it is working on the rescheduling of meetings and races that have been cancelled.
The Cheltenham Festival, currently scheduled for next month, is being planned as usual.
While the flu outbreak appears to have so far been contained to McCain's yard, BHA director of equine health and welfare David Sykes warned the threat is not over.
He said: "There are many more tests to analyse and the nature of the incubation period means that a negative test now does not mean that a horse has never had this flu virus.
"These yards continue to remain locked down and their horses kept under observation."
Equine flu is highly infectious for horses, and can cause high fever, coughing and nasal discharge. It can be particularly dangerous for younger horses, which is a concern as the breeding season is about to begin.
The flu strain at McCain's yard has been identified as Florida Clade 1, which is endemic to North and South America, and different to Clade 2, which is endemic in Europe.
British horses are vaccinated against Clade 1 and Clade 2, but the current strain is understood to be more virulent than those usually found in Europe.
BHA chief regulatory officer Brant Dunshea said: "We are acutely aware of the short-term impact of the decision to suspend racing.
"The BHA remains grateful for the assistance and the sensible precautions being taken by trainers and the patience shown by our racecourses and all those involved in the industry.
"The continued adherence to controls on the movement or horses and people and to strict biosecurity measures will protect the health of our horses and allow racing to return as soon as possible."
