FLU : F A S T F A C TS

Can a vaccinated horse still contract flu?

Yes, but clinical signs in a vaccinated animal would be minimal and the r ecovery time quicker. Think of it lik e human flu: vaccinated people don’t get full-blown flu, but the y may get a snotty nose and s till be able t o get out of bed and w ork.

Does it kill?

Flu is unlik ely to kill y our horse, but if untr eated it can be a primary trigger f or pneumonia in foals, which ma y result in dea th.

Is it contagious?

Yes, very — and it spr eads fast. Flu’s incubation time is betw een one and thr ee days.

How does it spread?

In two ways: l1 Direct transfer: horse t o horse contact, mainly thr ough coughing. l2 Indirect transfer: from the horse to its rider or tack, f or example.

How far can flu travel?

A long way — up to 5km.

Does my old horse still need vaccinating for flu?

Yes: the incr easing geriatric population are just as susc eptible due to concurrent consequences of age-related problems.

What is herd immunity?

Herd immunity oc curs when a significant portion of a gr oup is vaccinated, providing a measur e of protection for individuals who have not yet developed immunity. In these situa tions, the disease is unable t o spread because there are too few susceptible horses left t o propagate the outbr eak. In Britain, it ’s estimated that less than 50% of horses are vaccinated against flu, and this needs to increase to 70% in or der to achieve herd immunity. Until vaccination levels improve we will continue to see outbreaks of flu in the UK.