Equine flu outbreak - anyone else thinking about curtailing plans?

brightmount

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ester, do you know how to search for the flu strains covered by different brands/batches of vaccine?

One ned was vaccinated on 11/1/19 with Prequenza batch A122A01.
The other two were vaccinated on the same day with Prequenza Te batch A240A01.

ETA I'm imagining that my vets are being inundated with phone calls, one of the cases is in Cheshire.

Prequenza Te is flu & tetanus given every 2 years, Prequenza is just flu given the year in between. So either of those will be fine.
 

Cowpony

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I'm due to go out on Saturday and my horse is right at the end of her 12 month inoculation. I had already booked the vet for 25th so I will probably withdraw from this weekend's competition. Going to speak to the yard later.
 

Ambers Echo

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Is equine flu much more serious than the human version?

Flu is around in winter every year for people. We catch it, it's grim, we get over it and life goes on. Vaccinations are not even available on the NHS unless you are a front line worker or compromised heath-wise and we don't shut the country down over it to stop the spread. Households with flu don't go into lockdown with the exposed but well kids kept off school and the parents given time off work. Am I missing something or are their 150+ FB posts and emails warning me about and the mass re-vaccinations of horses a bit of an over-reaction?
 

popsdosh

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Prequenza Te is flu & tetanus given every 2 years, Prequenza is just flu given the year in between. So either of those will be fine.

What gives you that idea. Vaccinated horses are going down with it and showing positive . They may not be showing much more than subtle changes but they are still infectious to other horses. To be honest I am gobsmacked at how cavalier some are about this . If the BHA consider it important enough to shut down racing for 7 days and maybe longer there is some panic in their minds . As far as im aware UK racing has never been stopped before by an outbreak.
We will know more when the racing population has been tested and assessed which is happening quickly now but they can only handle so many samples a day.
Even if a certain vaccine is shown to be effective there will never be enough to more than scratch the surface with more vaccinations and it will have blown itself out before there will be enough as production can not just be stepped up it takes planning.
 

ester

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Is equine flu much more serious than the human version?

Flu is around in winter every year for people. We catch it, it's grim, we get over it and life goes on. Vaccinations are not even available on the NHS unless you are a front line worker or compromised heath-wise and we don't shut the country down over it to stop the spread. Households with flu don't go into lockdown with the exposed but well kids kept off school and the parents given time off work. Am I missing something or are their 150+ FB posts and emails warning me about and the mass re-vaccinations of horses a bit of an over-reaction?
Money, it’s not the level of disease in the individuals that’s a problem it’s the spread.

Popsdosh we can actually make emegency usually autogenous vaccines quickly just need some virus and some eggs. That’s different increasing production of a current commercial vaccine which is potentially not working great though.
 

oldie48

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No I don't think it is an over reaction. I know a huge number of people who's livelihoods depend on horses being able to get out and about competing and a mass outbreak could be enough to bankrupt them. If a horse gets flu, it's probably going to be off work for a month with the need to bring it back into work slowly and carefully, so for racehorses, eventer etc that's probably most of the season gone. Although most horses get over flu OK, it's much more infectious than strangles so once it gets into the general horse population it will spread very rapidly, so I am very pleased this outbreak is being taken seriously.
 

popsdosh

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Is equine flu much more serious than the human version?

Flu is around in winter every year for people. We catch it, it's grim, we get over it and life goes on. Vaccinations are not even available on the NHS unless you are a front line worker or compromised heath-wise and we don't shut the country down over it to stop the spread. Households with flu don't go into lockdown with the exposed but well kids kept off school and the parents given time off work. Am I missing something or are their 150+ FB posts and emails warning me about and the mass re-vaccinations of horses a bit of an over-reaction?
There wont be a mass re vaccination of horses as logistically there wont physically be enough vaccine to do it and it will take time to plan stock of an effective vaccine, no point using those already available.
Generally you are correct about the effects . Before vaccines yards used to shut down for 2-3 weeks if they had a case and in most cases the effects are gone . The real dangers come mostly in the high performance end where the stresses of racing for example can make the symptoms worse and in extreme cases finish careers . Humans to some degree are slightly different in that they can tell themselves they are not feeling 100%. It may eventually come about if the Virus mutates quicker that vaccination is futile and could be argued actually making it worse.
 

popsdosh

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Money, it’s not the level of disease in the individuals that’s a problem it’s the spread.

Popsdosh we can actually make emergency usually autogenous vaccines quickly just need some virus and some eggs. That’s different increasing production of a current commercial vaccine which is potentially not working great though.
Would there be enough capacity to produce this vaccine quickly enough to be effective ,thats my thinking, I realise that emergency vaccines can be produced but im not sure you could cover the horse population with the facilities at our disposal.
 

Pinkvboots

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Both my horses had the prequenza vaccine one a few weeks back, the other was done in September but they are kept at home and they won't be traveling anywhere, but there is a yard next door to me and I use there school, so should I get the one done in September done again?
 

Hallo2012

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watching and waiting, i'm cheshire and only 15 miles from the outbreak.

mine are up to date in terms of annual vacs but one is outside 6 months however im not going to panic to book a booster yet.

the only one planned to go and compete in the next 2 weeks is a stallion anyway so clearly wont be letting him stand around talking to other horses!
 

Goldenstar

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Is equine flu much more serious than the human version?

Flu is around in winter every year for people. We catch it, it's grim, we get over it and life goes on. Vaccinations are not even available on the NHS unless you are a front line worker or compromised heath-wise and we don't shut the country down over it to stop the spread. Households with flu don't go into lockdown with the exposed but well kids kept off school and the parents given time off work. Am I missing something or are their 150+ FB posts and emails warning me about and the mass re-vaccinations of horses a bit of an over-reaction?

Non of us have seen a full on equine flu epidemic out of control .
That’s how we can be relaxed .
No it’s not a overreaction to do a another vaccination every six months is mandatory for horses doing fei because it gives better cover .
Horses with flu recover slower than we do their lungs are huge and they are particularly senestive to respiratory stress .
Foals often die and as we fast approach the season where most foals are born that’s got to be big worry .
There’s a huge poll of unvaccinated horses in the uk all you can to care for your own as well as you can .
The next ten days should let us know how big an issue it is .
 

Tiddlypom

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Prequenza Te is flu & tetanus given every 2 years, Prequenza is just flu given the year in between. So either of those will be fine.
Thank you. I know that Te is the version with tetanus vaccine added, I was wondering if a lay person could look up the batch numbers and see which flu strains are incorporated.

The Cheshire Hunt have cancelled tomorrow's meet. Luckily last Saturday's meet was frozen off, as it was due to have been held very close to McCain's yard, and the hunt usually go onto the Cholmondeley estate.

ETA And re curtailing plans as per the thread title, I won't be hacking out for now, and I won't go ahead and book the neds in for their routine back check up until things become clearer. I don't want any non essential visits or handling by others atm.
 
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SamBean

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Just booked one in for next week who is due at beginning of April, other is fine. Local centre 2 miles away is still continuing with planned event this weekend. No cases confirmed near us so wondering if I’d be overreacting at this point by not even hacking the one who is booked in this weekend.
 

Ambers Echo

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I can totally see why an outbreak would be financially catastrophic for racing yards, big equestrian centres etc so if they decide to shut to safeguard their livelihoods then fair enough. But for the everyday rider is it such an issue? I am glad they are acting fast! I just think contrasting it with what happens with illness in people is interesting. Every year we have outbreaks of winter vomiting virus which shuts wards and sometimes hospitals and is every bit as unpleasant as it sounds. Plus human flu is a killer. But I can't imagine The Man U vs Man City football match being called off because their is a winter vomiting virus outbreak in Manchester. Who keeps their kids housebound when there is flu around? Why are we more stressed about our animals than our children? As far as I know public gatherings in people are only really cancelled for diseases like ebola.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Non of us have seen a full on equine flu epidemic out of control .
That’s how we can be relaxed .

*cough* Some of us have.
The vile flu that swept through the home counties in the 70s was dreadful.
My pony was very sick for over a fortnight,despite being vaccinated, 2 oldies on the yard we were on had to be pts as went to pneumonia, lots locally v unwell and this was an age when nearly all of us hacked to hunting, pony club and shows. Think it was the winter of 74/75. Many didnt vaccinate then.
I suppose that's why I'm so hot on biosecurity anyway, but wind born issues like this are a completely different kettle of fish to stop, hence why racing has halted etc.
 

FestiveFuzz

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I've cancelled our weekend plans at this point, and don't plan to go out until M has had his booster next week by which point the situation will hopefully be clearer. I'm possibly overreacting, but given we have two weanlings on the yard (and Dante has only just had his 2nd jab) I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks.
 

tristar

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go to a comp get sneezed or snorted on from a distance on once by an infectious horse, and you will catch it.

flu in horses is serious, it seemed worse in horses to me.

human society does not come to a standstill because we live so close together anyway, with horses we have the chance to control it because yards are further apart usually, and going on lockdown until the flu is contained, ie not competing or going to sales, gives everyone a better chance of avoiding and controlling an outbreak by confining it to a small area allowing it to die out and have less virus circulating in the population.

staying at home is the wisest option
 

PapaverFollis

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My vet receptionist had no idea what I was talking about. But to be fair we are literally the arse end of apsolutely nowhere so I don't think I need to panic just yet! Hopefully it's contained effectively and quickly. If I was back down in England she'd be getting a booster and we wouldn't be going anywhere.
 

flat3

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I know my horse was vaccinated in Dec and I'd assumed it was Prequenza as has been previously.

A localish venue (Gloucestershire) just posted on Facebook saying they require passports to be shown before unloading. So i just got his passport out to make sure it is all obviously in order (though we aren't going anywhere this weekend, just in case) and the date is in there, with 'flu' and vets signature but its missing the little sticker 😕 I wasn't there when it was done and clearly didn't do a thorough check when I got his passport back!

I've emailed the vets, but how big a deal is it that the little sticker is missing? I'm assuming they will confirm it was Prequenza so I'll have that piece of mind.
 

Chippers1

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My vet receptionist had no idea what I was talking about. But to be fair we are literally the arse end of apsolutely nowhere so I don't think I need to panic just yet! Hopefully it's contained effectively and quickly. If I was back down in England she'd be getting a booster and we wouldn't be going anywhere.

Just called my vets to get his done earlier and they had no idea either! I'm in the East Midlands and apparently there's been outbreaks in Derbyshire and Leicestershire...
 

tatty_v

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We were due to head out to unaffiliated local dressage at the weekend but we’ve cancelled on the grounds that it’s not important and we’d rather be safe than sorry. Hopefully in a week or so things will be a bit clearer.
 

tristar

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its a good idea to stop hacking until until the smoke clears and it can be seen where the outbreaks are and if they are contained or if it is spreading, but i suppose it depends where you are and how isolated it is, and where the nearest outbreaks are
 

Denbob

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Confirmed case in Somerset, although no word on whether horse is vaccinated. My visit to look at holiday livery has been cancelled and I won't be hacking or going near any other yards. Local venues seem to be cancelling unaffiliated events.
 
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