Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk...-outbreak/article-2155893-detail/article.html
Devastated staff at horses' rest home reveal threat from mystery flu outbreak
Bransby Home of Rest for Horses.
Horse charity workers are "devastated" at the prospect of having to put down some of the stable after an outbreak of equestrian flu.
Staff at Bransby Home of Rest for Horses, near Saxilby, discovered that up to 80 per cent of their animals have contracted the disease since Tuesday.
But with vaccines prohibitively expensive, and many of the horses who live at the home old or infirm, there are fears the 271 strong stable could be decimated.
Equine Welfare Manager, Sally Howard, said: "I'm devastated by this development which will have serious consequences for the charity and the horses it cares for, especially over the next couple of months.
"The incubation period for equine flu is between two and six days but we haven't had any horses pass through quarantine in over a month.
"So the source of this infection is not yet known but we will try to discover and eliminate it.
"So far around 80 percent of the herd have been affected - the infection started in one of our main yards - and the other 20 percent are in more isolated fields so we are trying to vaccinate them - but even that is costing more than ?6,000, not including vets bills.
"I walked through the yard on Thursday afternoon and all you could hear was coughing.
"The horses are stood in the corner with their heads hanging.
"It's so sad."
Devastated staff at horses' rest home reveal threat from mystery flu outbreak
Bransby Home of Rest for Horses.
Horse charity workers are "devastated" at the prospect of having to put down some of the stable after an outbreak of equestrian flu.
Staff at Bransby Home of Rest for Horses, near Saxilby, discovered that up to 80 per cent of their animals have contracted the disease since Tuesday.
But with vaccines prohibitively expensive, and many of the horses who live at the home old or infirm, there are fears the 271 strong stable could be decimated.
Equine Welfare Manager, Sally Howard, said: "I'm devastated by this development which will have serious consequences for the charity and the horses it cares for, especially over the next couple of months.
"The incubation period for equine flu is between two and six days but we haven't had any horses pass through quarantine in over a month.
"So the source of this infection is not yet known but we will try to discover and eliminate it.
"So far around 80 percent of the herd have been affected - the infection started in one of our main yards - and the other 20 percent are in more isolated fields so we are trying to vaccinate them - but even that is costing more than ?6,000, not including vets bills.
"I walked through the yard on Thursday afternoon and all you could hear was coughing.
"The horses are stood in the corner with their heads hanging.
"It's so sad."