On Aug. 12, a 22-year-old Quarter Horse gelding in Benton County, Oregon, was confirmed constructive for equine influenza by an attending veterinarian. He offered with left nostril discharge however didn’t have a fever, lethargy or coughing. The vaccinated gelding is reported to be recovering. One different horse on the personal facility the place he resides can be suspected of getting equine influenza however has not examined constructive. The ability is beneath voluntary quarantine.
EDCC Well being Watch is an Equine Community advertising and marketing program that makes use of data from the Equine Illness Communication Heart (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine illness reviews. The EDCC is an impartial nonprofit group that’s supported by trade donations in an effort to present open entry to infectious illness data.
About Equine Influenza
Equine influenza is a extremely contagious respiratory illness that infects horses, ponies and different equids, corresponding to donkeys, mules and zebras. The virus that causes it’s unfold through saliva and respiratory secretions from contaminated horses. Horses are generally uncovered through horse-to-horse contact; aerosol transmission from coughing and sneezing; and call with people’ contaminated arms, sneakers, garments or contaminated tack, buckets or different tools.
Scientific indicators of equine influenza an infection can embrace a excessive fever (as much as 106°F); a dry, hacking cough; melancholy; weak spot; anorexia; serous (watery) nasal discharge; and barely enlarged lymph nodes. Contemplate monitoring your horse’s well being at exhibits by taking his temperature every day, which will help you decide up on indicators of an infection early and take applicable measures to cut back illness unfold.
Vaccination is a crucial and cheap solution to shield your horse. US Equestrian requires proof that horses have had an equine influenza vaccination throughout the six months previous to attending organization-sanctioned competitions or occasions. Your veterinarian will help you establish what different vaccines your horse would possibly profit from.
Along with vaccinating, following strict biosecurity protocols will help scale back your horse’s likelihood of an infection and illness. Such measures embrace quarantining new equine arrivals at barns, disinfecting buckets and tools, and stopping nose-to-nose contact between horses.
