Horse flu could affect racing
2003-12-10 14:01
Cape Town - An outbreak of horse flu in the Western Cape could have a crippling effect on racing, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Tony Barnes, the chief executive of the Jockey Club of Southern Africa, said: "The implications are serious."
Barnes said the last such outbreak in 1986 had affected horse racing for three months, and the latest bout could render many people such as jockeys and grooms jobless if the problem gets worse.
"Other equine sports such as showjumping and polo could also be affected," he said.
Horse flu, otherwise known as equine influenza, is the most widespread viral respiratory illness in horses and is highly contagious.
While few horses die from the disease, it can prove to be ruinous with delays in training, withdrawals from competition and increased susceptibility of horses to more serious secondary infections like bacterial pneumonia.
The outbreak was confirmed after several horses in a Cape Town training centre were found coughing and displaying other symptoms of the disease.
Ensuing tests confirmed that they all had horse flu.
"It is critical to identify and isolate all horses which could have come into contact with infected horses," Barnes said.