Readers are encouraged to register now for Webinar on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 8 pm EDT
LEXINGTON, KY—TheHorse.com will present a FREE hourlong live Webinar, sponsored by Intervet, Understanding Equine Influenza, on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. EDT. Register for this educational event by visiting www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=11292 . The lead presenter will be Tom Chambers, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Science at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center. He has headed the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) Reference Laboratory for Equine Influenza for 15 years at the university, one of only three such laboratories in the world.
Dr. Chambers will be assisted in the question and answer section by Roberta Dwyer, DVM, who is board certified in veterinary preventive medicine. Dwyer is a professor in the Department of Veterinary Science at the Gluck Center, and her expertise is in biosecurity and equine infectious diseases.
Why Worry About Flu?
Equine influenza is the most common viral respiratory disease in horses. Flu gained worldwide attention in 2007 by shutting down the equine industry in parts of Australia and Japan. While Japan had suffered through minor outbreaks in the past, Australia had a naïve equine population, meaning the horses had never been exposed to influenza nor were they vaccinated against the disease. The cost of the Australian outbreak is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars. Smaller influenza outbreaks occur in the United States each year because of the highly infectious nature of the virus.
“Equine influenza is a common upper respiratory disease that prevents the horse from being exercised,” notes Chambers. “Typical clinical signs include fever, nasal discharge, and a dry, hacking cough. Outbreaks can produce significant problems for horse industries by disrupting exercise and horse transport.”
He also notes that equine influenza is “enzootic in the United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, and South America (enzootic means constantly present while affecting only a small number of animals at any one time). Most other parts of the world have seen repeated outbreaks. The historic exceptions were Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland. Australia and New Zealand, which import and export horses, have mandatory vaccination and quarantine systems designed to stop the viral disease.”
Unfortunately, those quarantine systems didn’t work in Australia. There are no equine influenza regulations imposed on horses entering the United States.
Chambers notes that where influenza is enzootic, its level of morbidity (relative severity of disease) can range from severe to inapparent, depending on the animal’s prior exposure. “But even in previously unexposed horses, with the exception of young foals, fatalities are rare. However, once horses are infected by equine influenza, opportunistic bacterial invaders can cause secondary infections that produce more severe complications.”
After a horse recovers from flu, it is recommended to give him a week off for every day he had a fever. This means the loss of valuable training and competition time.
Influenza Basics
Chambers offers the following guidelines stemming from what we know about equine influenza:
- Horses transported internationally that aren’t obviously infected
themselves can spread disease. - Horse owners, workers, and veterinarians should always be
conscious of the danger of transmission of equine influenza or
other contagious diseases by passive transfer on objects such as
clothing, equipment, horse trailers, or unwashed hands. - The equine influenza virus particle is easily killed by soap or
common disinfectants, but it can survive for hours or days in the
environment and even longer if kept cool and moist. - Vaccines by themselves do not provide absolute protection.
- Prompt diagnosis of equine respiratory diseases by testing of
nasal swabs is essential if outbreaks are to be controlled or,
even better, avoided. - Effective quarantine is the best prevention against the
introduction of the disease. - Research is needed to better understand equine influenza and other
infectious diseases; this will help scientists discover better
ways to prevent and treat infection.
Sign Up Now To Attend the Free Online Webinar:
For more information on the basics of equine influenza, and how to protect your horses from this disease, register for the Understanding Equine Influenza Webinar sponsored by Intervet at www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=11292 and tune in on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. EDT. Registrants may ask live questions during the Webinar and can submit questions prior to the Webinar.
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