****Important***** AHT advice on dealing with EHV outbreak

[seabsicuit2]

The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket has given the following advice to the MFHA

APPLIES TO ALL THE COTSWOLDS HUNTS

The Animal Health Trust at Newmarket strongly advise that NO horses that have been either hunted or been in contact with any horse that has been hunted in the Beaufort, Berkeley, VWH, Cotswold or Heythrop area should be taken ANYWHERE where they could be in contact with other horses for a minimum of 14 days* assuming no disease signs found in their stables.

They also advise that it is good practice for all horse owners to monitor their own horses for any signs of infection:-

CLINICAL SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

1: Temperature increase. Check your horse’s temperature twice daily and if above 38.5C this is a suspicious sign.
2: Dull and off food.
3: Respiratory signs, i.e. coughing or nasal discharge.
4: Abortion in pregnant mares.

5: Neurological signs, i.e. incoordination or unsteady on limbs.

Transmission is via direct horse to horse contact or by direct aerosol transmission from infected horse usually in shared airspace i.e. close stabling, transport or group of horses.

Prevention:

1: Isolate any new horses coming onto your yard for a minimum of 10 days.

2: Change clothing and wash hands after contact with any suspect or infected horses. Disinfect horse transport between transporting different horses.

3: Avoid stressful stimuli to horses which may have been exposed to the virus.

4: Isolate any horses showing a temperature rise and/or respiratory signs and contact your own vet immediately. 5: Vaccination in the face of an outbreak is NOT recommended.

*we are hearing that this may need to be extended to 21 days or even 28 days.

 

[seabsicuit2]

Far too late in the day to release this now I think.

 

[noname]

Don't understand why people don't do this when their horses are sick anyway!

Its on a dressage yard as well as hunting yards!

 

[millimoo]

Here's the latest from a thread on BD forum... I'm amazed people are happy to compete at the moment - I just don't think it's worth the Risk, as its the Paralytic form which can be fatal.
One of the horses PTS was on a Dressage yard and none of them had been anywhere near the hunt


RE: Equine herpes in Glos

22nd March 2013
TO HUNTS IN THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE AREA

SUBJECT: EQUINE HERPES VIRUS (EHV) UPDATE

The MFHA has been asked to pass on the following information to Hunts in the Gloucestershire area to clarify the present situation as regards EHV. The spread of the infection to the Beaufort Hunt which was suspected on the 15th March and confirmed on the 17th March was a worrying spread from the original outbreak in early February in the Heythrop country. The vets dealing with the situation suspect that a carrier horse which hunted with the Beaufort on the 6th March and also with the Beaufort and Berkeley at their joint meet on the 9th March was probably to blame. Several further suspects have subsequently come to light – 2 now being confirmed – the virus obviously having been transmitted in the hunting field. In this light both the vets dealing with the situation locally and also The Animal Health Trust at Newmarket strongly advise that hunting should cease with packs in the Gloucestershire area where horses have definitely been in contact with one another. They further strongly advise that NO horses that have been either hunted or been in contact with any horse that has been hunted in the Beaufort, Berkeley, VWH, Cotswold or Heythrop area should be taken anywhere where they could be in contact with other horses for a minimum of 14 days assuming no disease signs found in their stables.
They also advise that it is good practice for all horse owners to monitor their own horses for any signs of infection as below;

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
1: Temperature increase. Check your horse’s temperature twice daily and if above 38.5C this is a suspicious sign.
2: Dull and off food.
3: Respiratory signs, i.e. coughing or nasal discharge.
4: Abortion in pregnant mares.
5: Neurological signs, i.e. incoordination or unsteady on limbs.
Transmission is via direct horse to horse contact or by direct aerosol transmission from infected horse usually in shared airspace i.e. close stabling, transport or group of horses.

Prevention:
1: Isolate any new horses coming onto your yard for a minimum of 10 days.
2: Change clothing and wash hands after contact with any suspect or infected horses. Disinfect horse transport between transporting different horses.
3: Avoid stressful stimuli to horses which may have been exposed to the virus.
4: Isolate any horses showing a temperature rise and/or respiratory signs and contact your own vet immediately.
5: Vaccination in the face of an outbreak is NOT recommended.


The MFHA therefore advise all Hunts listed to pass on this information to their communities immediately