Horse flu: the biggest threat to our racing industry

Equine influenza (EI) has been spread by the international movement of horses, says director of the South African Equine Research Centre, Alan Guthrie.

“Since EI was introduced in to the USA from South America in 1963, it has been associated with major outbreaks of disease in countries all over the world,” says Mr Guthrie, who is speaking at the Pan Pacific Veterinary Conference tomorrow.

New Zealand is the last major horse producing country in the world that does not have EI, which is endemic in all other countries with significant horse populations. The disease is seen as the greatest threat to the horse industry here.

“It would cause a complete shut down of all horse racing throughout the country,” says New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association president, Dr Bill Bishop.

“New Zealand horses would be highly susceptible as they are an immunologically naïve population, having never been exposed to the EI virus. EI is highly contagious and if it did get here we would expect that it would spread rapidly and affect most of the horse population. It would be a nightmare.”

Dr Bishop says although we are free of EI, thanks to robust quarantine regulations, horse owners should always be on the look out for the possible signs of infection.

“The virus causes similar signs to human influenza with a high temperature and rapidly developing signs of an upper respiratory infection. Owners should be concerned if a horse is off colour, stops eating and develops a dry hacking cough. Some horses get a runny nose and eyes and are stiff and sore.

“While most will recover, it can take a long time, and young foals and horses with compromised health may develop pneumonia and other potentially fatal complications.”

He says although unlikely to be EI, any concerns with horses showing these signs should be discussed with a veterinarian.

“As equine veterinarians we are aware of our responsibility as the first line of defence in animal disease emergencies – rapid recognition and diagnosis are critical when we are dealing with any contagious disease,” he says.