Richard Davison shares his thoughts on moral dilemmas for those competing overseas and vaccinating against EHV-1
JUST when we thought our lives could not become any more dominated by a virus, the equestrian world is hit by another, the equine herpes virus (EHV-1).
This is not a new virus and, over the years when competing in the USA and other countries, I recall the vaccination being mandatory. However, there is no vaccine to protect against the neurological variant, which can be fatal and has made life a living hell for competitors at Valencia CSI as their sick and dying horses were locked down on-site.
I hope that those who have returned to the UK, where EHV is currently not an officially notifiable disease, will adhere strictly to the quarantine guidelines , even if only for the sake of everyone else’s horses.
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Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
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