Be vigilant for clinical signs, AHT warns

The Animal Health Trust (AHT) has called for increased vigilance for equine influenza amongst recently purchased horses and ponies.

Concern raised after the trust became aware of two outbreaks of equine influenza in France, with a common link to recent horse sales in Ireland.

The first outbreak was an unvaccinated Connemara horse near Paris and the second was an unvaccinated Connemara pony in Brittany. Both showed clinical signs of a cough, pyrexia and nasal discharge and diagnosis was confirmed after a swab in both cases.

Eleven other horses have been affected at the two premises altogether.

Réseau d'Epidémio-Surveillance en Pathologie Equine (RESPE) sent out a notification about the outbreaks last week (October 31).

The AHT website says: "The Animal Health Trust is keen to raise awareness among UK veterinary surgeons who may be called to attend horses with clinical signs that may be attributable to equine influenza virus infection occurring shortly after introduction of a recently purchased horse, particularly but not necessarily exclusively from France or Ireland at this time.

"Clinical signs may be rapidly spreading among groups of non-vaccinated animals and often include a characteristic harsh, dry cough, fever and associated inappetance and nasal discharge which may begin serous but soon becomes mucopurulent in nature."

The AHT is able to provide testing for equine influenza, at no cost to the vet, where flu is strongly suspected as the cause of the clinical disease. Click here for more information.