AN OUTBREAK of equine flu has resulted in ALL race meetings in the UK being cancelled today.
The British Horseracing Authority, the sport’s governing body, announced the shock move late last night.
Three cases of the disease were found to have come from an “infected yard” which had runners at Ayr and Ludlow yesterday.
Meetings at Huntingdon, which was set to host Supreme Novices Hurdle favourite Angels Breath in the Sidney Banks, as well as Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford have now been scrapped.
The BHA described the “highly infectious” disease as “the most potentially damaging of the respiratory viruses”.
They say it can be “transmitted indirectly, including via people”, adding “there are no known consequences for humans associated with exposure to the disease.”
Since 2 January, cases have been reported in Essex, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Suffolk – but all unvaccinated animals.
An outbreak of equine flu in Australia in 2007 spread so quickly it paralysed the country’s horse industry, with 1,000 cases a week being reported.
But it is the first time that an outbreak of disease has caused meetings to be scrapped since 2011 when Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to foot and mouth.
Sky Racing presenter Tim Carroll tweeted: “Just reading that these horses raced at Ludlow and Ayr today.
“From my experience in Australia, where its was first detected in 1 horse at Centennial Park opposite Randwick racetrack, this potentially is a disaster, I really hope I’m wrong and we don’t suffer the same fate.”
The BHA, whose chief executive is Nick Rust, said in a statement: “The outbreak at the infected yard follows the identification of a number of equine influenza cases across Europe and the UK, including several in vaccinated horses.
“Horses from the infected yard have raced today at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing a significant number of horses from yards across the country and in Ireland.
“The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), with unanimous support of the BHA’s industry veterinary committee, has taken the decision to cancel racing at all British racecourses on Thursday 7 February 2019.
“This is following the BHA being informed this evening by the Animal Health Trust of three confirmed Equine Influenza positives from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard.
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“The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare and the potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease.
“The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed today and identify the further actions required.
“The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease.”
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News Photo Equine flu outbreak results in ALL UK horse race meetings being cancelled on Thursday over fears of infection
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