Is equine flu fatal?

Question

Everybody has been talking about it lately, but what happens when horses get it?

Answer 1

They get a runny nose and they feel 'depressed', occasionally a horse or two does die.

Answer 2

It can be fatal to foals and very old horses, and those horses which have never been vaccinated against it. In some countries, like Australia, it is common practice not to vaccinate horses against equine flu because they have never had any outbreaks of the disease until this winter ( it's late winter in Australia as I write this) so they never thought it necessary.

The big problem with the equine flu is not the initial infection- it's the after effects and secondary infections which often follow. Just like with people, horses which contract the flu are very vulnerable to pneumonia and related infections for weeks and even months following the initial illness. Flu in horses is similar to flu in people, in that it produces similar symptoms. The horse has a fever, a cough, is weak and lethargic, and often has no appetite. Many horses won't drink enough when they are sick, and this can lead to dehyrdation. That's one reason why sick horses are often given fluids by IV.

Tragically, there was a massive outbreak of the disease in Australia this winter, and a number of horses died from the infection. The government finally stepped in and imposed quarantine measures, and the racetracks there were shut down. All transport and movement of horses was prohibited until recently, and I understand that it's only being allowed on a limited basis now. Vaccination programs would have prevented this whole situation, as the government and people of Australia are now learning the hard way.  

Hope this answers your question.

Answer 3

Most horses with strong immune systems will recover.  You have to make sure that they are vaccinated to avoid it.

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Answer 4

Equine Flu is just like human flu in that it causes a runny nose, hacking cough, lethargy, etc.

As in humans EI can be fatal to the vulnerable groups - ie the very young, the very old and those with existing respiratory problems.

Most horses will make a full recovery within a few weeks of showing symptoms.  The main problem with EI is that it has a 100% infection rate in horses that are unvaccinated and in Australia it is not standard practise to vaccinate against EI as they have never had an outbreak before.

About 20 years ago there was an EI outbreak in South Africa and the entire racing and breeding operation ground to a halt for 5 months.