Horse flu cases rise sharply
2003-12-11 22:02
Cape Town - The number of racehorses at the Milnerton Race Course that have contracted horse flu has risen sharply from 60 to 100.
But, health authorities have managed to contain the outbreak to the Milnerton training centre.
No infections have been reported from Cape Town's other racehorse training centre in Philippi.
Meanwhile, all races in Cape Town have been cancelled until further notice.
Alternative dates will be found for important races such as the Selangor Cup, Diadem Pot stakes and the Sceptre Pot stakes, .
Experts in the field say the virus should not have much effect on the multimillion-rand industry.
Dr Gideon Bruckner, director of veterinarian services in the Western Cape, said there were about 23 000 horses in the province.
"The illness has not spread outside the Milnerton training centre which is a good thing. Many of the 1 000 horses there have been inoculated.
"It is like human flu - not everyone gets it. The chance that many will die is slim as the animals are being treated," he said.
"Everyone that has come into contact with infected horses, including jockeys, have been asked not to visit stalls that house the healthy horses," he said.
Tony Barnes, the chief executive officer of the SA Jockey Club said the virus held serious consequences as many people were employed in the industry. He said even sports such as polo and horse riding could be affected.
The jockey club said that all horses that came into contact with those from Milnerton and at Arlington in the Eastern Cape should be put under quarantine.
Bruckner said horse flu did a lot of harm to the country involved.
"When an outbreak was recorded, no one wanted that country's horses, nor did they want to send their horses there to take part in races," he said.
It is now no longer requisite that horses be inoculated against horse flu.
Horse flu is not a containable disease and authorities are unable to enforce laws on travel against horse owners.
As a result, people who own riding horses and cart horses cannot be forced to confine their animals or to inoculate them.
"There is only a ban on moving horses from Milnerton as it is not a containable disease," said Bruckner.
Ideally, all horses should be inoculated against the virus, he said.
Barnes said the virus could have been brought into the country by an imported horse as was the last recorded case with in 1986.