EHV-1 Emergency

With the northern hemisphere currently in the midst of winter, there are new confirmed cases of EHV-1, as happened recently in Oliva in Spain and Lier in Belgium, as horses spend more time indoors (ie in the stables, at indoor events).

In Lier, one horse presented symptoms while four are the confirmed cases of EHV-1 in Oliva. The horse in Lier was immediately isolated and 25 horses deemed to be in-contact were blocked from the FEI database.

The four horses in Oliva with positive test to EHV-1 were feverish but there have been no reports of any neurological signs in these horses, the form of the virus which can be fatal. The last week of competition in Oliva is therefore cancelled. All the precautionary measures to minimize the risk of transmission have been swiftly applied and all the horses attending Oliva from 7 February to 22 February – close to 1,000 horses – have been blocked in the FEI database.

All the horses from Lier and Oliva that have been blocked in the FEI database are prevented from attending any FEI events until they have fulfilled certain health requirements which are imposed in order to minimize any potential transmission of the virus, both to their own horses and the wider horse population.

We would like to reiterate the importance of the FEI’s Horse Health Requirements, and the necessity to fulfil the Horse Health Requirements via the FEI HorseApp to ensure the maximum safety for all horses competing at international events.

Consequently, we would like to remind the equestrian community that the Horse Health Requirements  and all the preventative measures the community can actively apply are a crucial preventative biosecurity tool in order to minimise the risk of disease transmission, and it is of utmost importance that these requirements are consistently applied by all.  

For any questions contact the FEI Veterinary Department