Page 2 - Equine influenza e-Book

Equine influenza

Introduction

• Epizootic disease of the equine upper and lower respiratory tract.
• Cause: equine influenza virus A (H3N8-American (Kentucky, Florida and Argentina) and European
lineage). Most current threat in UK in H3N8-American-Florida clade 2 strain.
• Signs: harsh cough, pyrexia, lymphadenopathy, depression, inappetence.
• Diagnosis: virus isolation from nasopharyngeal swabs, ELISA for viral antigen detection, serology.
• Treatment: supportive.
• Prognosis: good for adult tracheobronchitis; fair to poor for foal pneumonia.

Print off the Owner factsheets on Equine influenza - 'flu' and Respiratory problems in your horse -

not a good wheeze! to give to your clients.

Presenting signs

• Dry harsh cough Coughing.
• Adult horses: tracheobronchitis.
• Foals: pneumonia Lung: pneumonia - interstitial (foals) Lung: pneumonia - neonatal
bacterial.
• Viremia with myocarditis and hepatic damage.
• Nasal discharge Nose: nasal discharge (Fig 1), especially in partially immune populations.
• Pyrexia.
Acute presentation

• Tracheobronchitis or pneumonia may be acute.

Geographic incidence

• Worldwide.
• Some countries are free from disease and have strict entry regulations.

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