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Latest Updates concerning EHV-1 from FEI
5 May 2021
The FEI was advised that samples taken from a horse which was participating for consecutive weeks at Opglabbeek (BEL), and which was therefore subject to mandatory PCR testing under the FEI Return To Competition measures, have returned positive for EHV-1. The horse, which has no clinical signs but has been put into isolation, had tested negative for EHV-1 prior to travel to Opglabbeek. The athlete’s other four horses have also been isolated and the boxes vacated by all five horses have been thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and sealed in line with the FEI Return To Competition measures. None of the five horses has shown any clinical signs. All five horses have been retested and are being closely monitored by the Veterinary Delegate for any clinical signs. No other horses were stabled within six metres of this athlete’s horses during last week’s CSI at the venue.
The Opglabbeek Organisers, who have fully adhered to the FEI Return To Competition protocols with regard to this horse and its in-contacts, have also informed all athletes with horses entered to participate at the venue. In addition, the FEI has contacted Organisers and Veterinary Delegates of events in Belgium and the Netherlands in the next two weeks, advising them that there is no requirement for them to take any measures additional to the FEI Return to Competition protocols.
6 May 2021
The FEI was advised that the horse previously stabled immediately adjacent to the index horse in Opglabbeek (BEL) has also tested positive to EHV-1. The index horse remains positive following a retest, but the athlete’s other three horses have returned negative PCR tests. All five horses, which were previously in isolation onsite at Opglabbeek, are now in external quarantine off-venue and none are showing clinical signs. The five horses are all being blocked on the FEI Database and will be required to undergo a 21-day isolation period and then produce a negative PCR test result before they can be unblocked.
The laboratory in Belgium that tested the samples from these horses will be requested to send the two positive samples to the OIE Reference Laboratory in Ireland or Ghent University for gene typing.
The Opglabbeek Organisers have contacted all athletes that had horses housed in the same stable tent as the index horse and have offered, as an extra precaution, to pay for PCR testing, even though the FEI does not view these horses as close in-contacts.
The FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group held the eighth of its weekly meetings. The Group reviewed the current situation in mainland Europe, focusing on the two positives in Opglabbeek; the implementation of the Return To Competition measures and continued its discussions on defining and declaring an infectious disease outbreak. A report from the meeting will be published in the next 24 hours.
7 May 2021
The FEI was advised that three horses had tested positive for EHV-1 at a stables in Switzerland. The positive results were confirmed only after an athlete from the home stables had arrived on-venue at the Italian CDI in Ormago (ITA) on Wednesday evening this week. Following confirmation of the positives at the home stables, all three horses have now left the venue, as officially validated by the event checkout system on the FEI HorseApp. The FEI is following up on this situation, together with the National Federation.
Publication of the report from the second weekly meeting of the FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group, which was held online on 6 May. The Group’s next meeting is scheduled for 12 May 2021.
Source:Fei website