Notification of required biosecurity measures on return from Doha (QAT)

Athlete notification from Doha - last night:

The FEI Veterinary Department has some important information for you following your participation at Al Shaqab in Doha (QAT).

As you are aware, strict biosecurity measures were implemented for the four horses that travelled from Valencia to Doha, and to date, all competing horses in Doha have tested negative for EHV-1. Of the four horses, one of the two German horses that was in isolation tested positive to EHV-1 and tests on the second horse were inconclusive. Although both horses were transferred to the isolation unit of the neighbouring veterinary clinic, and the two Colombian horses remained in isolation on the venue, we would like to reiterate the importance of biosecurity protocols for your returning horses.

EHV-1 is an air-borne disease that can be transmitted up to five metres via coughing, but also through direct contact, via people and shared equipment. It can cause respiratory and neurological signs, abortion in pregnant mares and death of young foals. Please refer to the FEI’s comprehensive Equine Herpes Virus hub for more detailed information and best practices.

It is important to note, there is no mandatory requirement for horses returning from Doha to be put in quarantine, however, we strongly recommend that they are kept separated from other horses in their home stables and carefully monitored for the next three weeks, including twice-daily temperature checks. Contact between horses must be kept to the absolute minimum and we also highly recommend that you do not participate in any training events, breeding activities etc with your horses.

Here are some simple biosecurity measures:

1.   Isolate your horses

Horses that participated at Doha, as well as any others that have been in contact with these horses, should be isolated.

2.   Take rectal temperatures

Rectal temperatures of all of your horses should be taken and recorded twice daily. Horses that develop a fever should be examined by a veterinarian.

3.   Release from isolation

Horses must only be released from isolation on the advice of your veterinarian.

Prevention is key when it comes to minimising the transmission of diseases, and these measures provide an added level of protection to the horse population. We are grateful for your assistance in implementing these protocols, which contribute significantly to preventing transmission of the disease. It is only by working together that we can keep our community of FEI horses, as well as local horses in your country, healthy and disease free.

Please feel free to contact the Veterinary Department should you have any questions at this email: veterinary@fei.org