The news from BEVA is Boehringer Ingelheim is getting supplies into the country and at present many wholesalers have product - it’s now a case of distributing out to practices all over the country. Many practices are re-stocked, but levels aren’t quite 100% as yet. However, things improve daily and it shouldn’t be long until normal service resumes.  

 

On a less positive note, there have been several confirmed EI outbreaks around the country over the last week. They seem largely linked to two horse sales – one in Scotland of Shetland ponies and one in Ireland – large gatherings of unvaccinated horses. As such, it may be timely to give your members a warning via your social channels to heighten awareness and give advice around introducing new horses. Celia Marr, Chair if the EIDAG has suggested:

 

In the last few days there have been several reports of new flu outbreaks. Horse owners should look out for fever or respiratory signs and contact their vet immediately if they are concerned. Owners should be particularly careful when introducing unvaccinated new horses to premises. If you have to do this, speak to your vets about quarantining the new horse and using a flu PCR test to check for silent infection, before mixing a new horse with others. Fortunately, equine flu vaccines are now available so if your horse’s annual booster is due or overdue, you should contact your vets and get its booster up to date as soon as possible.

 

The EIDAG will be working on an update about returning vaccination protocols to previous pre-shortage requirements and emphasising the ‘two in two’ notion, which we will circulate in due course. Supplementary to this, they will work on an overall message on the importance EI vaccine compliance as well as help to those of you with six-month booster requirements.

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For your information, the following outbreaks have occurred: -

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• Friday 28th October: Herefordshire & South Yorkshire

• Tuesday 1st November: Dumfries and Galloway & Staffordshire

• Thursday 3rd November: Derbyshire

• Friday 4th November: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Fife & Leicestershire

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Tell Tail text alert system, which is available to vets and professional horse keepers, to register visit:

Tell-Tail Disease Outbreak Service

 

Kind regards

 

Jim

 

Jim Eyre

Chief Executive - British Equestrian Federation