Equine flu is a highly contagious virus that spreads rapidly between horses so get up to speed with the latest advice on how best to protect your horse
“The facility currently holds 2500 horses . in close quarters if they were not penned, it is entirely possible that the pathogen would’ve not spread nearly as quickly.”
Horsetalk.co.nz Equine flu vaccine study sparked by 2018 outbreak in Europe
The Equilis Prequenza equine influenza vaccine has been shown in a study to provide high levels of protection against a new strain that triggered major outbreaks in Europe in 2018.
The outbreaks in Europe occurred despite various equine flu vaccines being widely available, Sylvia Reemers and her colleagues noted in the journal
Vaccine.
Influenza viruses are known for their high mutation rate, causing antigenic drift over time.
In 2018 and early 2019, major outbreaks were reported in South America and a great part of Europe. Genetic analysis revealed the virus belonged to the H3N8 Florida Clade 1 strain.