The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has warned trainers to continue to be vigilant in the wake of a rising number of equine influenza cases across the country. There has to date been more than 68 reported outbreaks in the non-thoroughbred population in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated horses.An update issued on Friday read, “Despite the huge benefits of vaccination, protection can never be 100%. We must also therefore try to prevent the virus entering the racing herd in the first place. This is how we keep our horses healthy and ensure racing continues without interruption at a pivotal period in the calendar.“The greatest risk to the thoroughbreds in training is exposure to sick horses or those that are shedding flu virus.“This is most likely to occur when horses of unknown disease or vaccination status are in close proximity, such as when a new horse enters a yard or where there is mixing outside of the racing environment at shows or other equine events.”Racing was previously shut down in Britain for six days during an outbreak of equine flu in February 2019. The BHA has already taken the step of halting hunter chase meetings and pony racing on British racecourses to ensure that only horses from licensed yards are allowed on site. The BHA guidance continued, “The data from the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance team tells us that a high proportion of flu outbreaks involve horses that have recently moved premises.“It is therefore essential that horses that are being brought into licensed yards are vaccinated and properly isolated for a 14-day period to ensure they are healthy and disease-free before they mix with the established horses.“These horses should be monitored daily for signs of infection and veterinary advice sought immediately if they show signs of disease, such as a high temperature, are off feed, have a harsh cough or nasal discharge.” The post BHA Urges Vigilance as Equine Flu Cases Rise appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.