Equine Influenza Outbreak

They are doing a risk managed return to racing Wednesday.

I can't answer for @OwnedbyChanter but the one week I believe is because there is a three day incubation period and possibly another three to see if that's spread.
 
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Yes why is that a shock?
It's a fact here that horses go for meat. Some are need specifically for that market.
Nothing much shocks anymore.
Think it's seeing it in black and white
Yes why is that a shock?
It's a fact here that horses go for meat. Some are need specifically for that market.
Nothing much shocks anymore.
Think it's just seeing it in black and white. Most of the time we shut it out of our minds. Shudder.
 
What I find strange is that nearly half the horses were vaccinated ones. I know it's like human flu jabs they can only guess the strain. They are saying that you should revaccinate if your horse its over six months since it was done, but until they manufacture a vaccine to cover this new strain. It seems pointless to me to top up a vaccine that possibly isn't working. It could take months to produce and approve a vaccine for licence.
 
What I find strange is that nearly half the horses were vaccinated ones. I know it's like human flu jabs they can only guess the strain. They are saying that you should revaccinate if your horse its over six months since it was done, but until they manufacture a vaccine to cover this new strain. It seems pointless to me to top up a vaccine that possibly isn't working. It could take months to produce and approve a vaccine for licence.

I *think* from the updates our vet has been posting every day, that the vaccinated horses have very mild symptoms, in fact some of the ones on the racing yards were not showing any symptoms at all, they were only discovered to be harbouring the virus by swabbing. That's why I had Jack vaccinated even though he never leaves the yard, just in case a vaccinated horse manages to pick up the virus at a competition or something and fetches it home with them. The horse that died was unvaccinated.
 
I think there are two horses that have died?
I suppose for some it's gone over the top and it's just unnecessary flapping and fussing.
If you are one of those people who've just put your horse down with flu, you probably feel differently though.

OT
But I know on occasion I still feel myself wanting to bang my head on a wall with posts on worms and worming. Having known a horse die and mine nearly die from a burden, I find it bizarre that some people just don't get it can happen.
 
I think there are two horses that have died?

I might be behind the times .... I do know from the update yesterday that there were several new confirmed cases and all had either come from Ireland or were in contact with a horse that had recently come from Ireland, so the 'Irish link' is currently being investigated. Ironic really that Ireland was the only place where racing wasn't stopped.
 
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What I find strange is that nearly half the horses were vaccinated ones. I know it's like human flu jabs they can only guess the strain. They are saying that you should revaccinate if your horse its over six months since it was done, but until they manufacture a vaccine to cover this new strain. It seems pointless to me to top up a vaccine that possibly isn't working. It could take months to produce and approve a vaccine for licence.

My thoughts exactly.
 
This article touches on the need for 6 monthly vaccination although it doesn’t really explain why.

https://www.britishhorseracing.com/the-science-behind-the-industrys-flu-vaccination-policies/

Someone told me that the vaccine our vets were using prior to 6 months ago might not have been the latest one and although the current vaccine may not be completely effective it offers better protection than previous versions. However that is all heresay and I’ve no idea whether it’s true or not.
 
Even the human vaccine sometimes is not all that effective many years.


I think they combine the most likely strains.
And so many years you hear on the news
That the flu shot is only 35 % effective etc.

I don't know how many they may combine for humans or if there any combining
For horses.
 
According to the article I read it said that the reason behind getting your horses re vaccinated if they were outside the six months was because the vaccine becomes less effective the longer it is in the horses system, my thoughts there are if it isn’t as effective after six months why is it only given yearly? I’m very surprised the pharmaceuticals haven’t jumped on that and vets too, big bucks for them if we all needed to get vaccines done twice a year.
I’m torn really, Belle is healthy, never goes out competing, in fact none on our yard do and I’m petrified if I give her another booster it might tip her over the edge into lammi but if I don’t then she might get the flu and Sod’s law would end up really Ill or dead.
 
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