Vaccination plea amid rising equine flu cases

10 hours ago

Tom Jackson,in Huntingdonand

Joanna Taylor,Cambridgeshire

Vet Gemma Lamble said equine influenza is not considered a risk to people, but animals can "feel quite poorly"

TOM JACKSON/BBC Gemma Lamble smiling at the camera. She is wearing a striped jersey and glasses. Behind her is a fenced paddock with trees, grass and a young woman holding a horse by its reigns. She is wearing a riding helmet. — Vet Gemma Lamble said equine influenza is not considered a risk to people, but animals can "feel quite poorly"

Horse owners are being urged to ensure their animals' vaccinations are up-to-date after a "rising number" of equine influenza outbreaks were reported across the UK.

Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS), based at the Cambridge Vet School, said there had been 23 confirmed outbreaks in April alone, including two in Cambridgeshire, compared to just four nationwide in 2025.

Equine influenza, or horse flu, is not typically fatal, but it can cause discomfort and spread two kilometres (1.3 miles) in the air, Gemma Lamble, clinical director at Fellowes Farm Equine Vets, said.

"It's important that people who are concerned check their [horse's] vaccinations are up to date," Lamble said.

"It is a virus that is specific to horses, but the symptoms are similar to what people might feel when they get flu.

"Horses tend to get a cough, high temperature and nasal discharge, and it can make them feel quite poorly...It can, in some cases, lead to secondary infections."

It is recommended that horse owners check their animals' temperatures every day, as it is usually the first symptom of equine influenza

TOM JACKSON/BBC A horse rider standing next to a light brown horse. The woman is wearing a riding helmet and holding the animal by a reign. They are standing in a gated paddock with grass and trees. — It is recommended that horse owners check their animals' temperatures every day, as it is usually the first symptom of equine influenza

EIDS recommends checking horses' temperatures every day and isolating them if an infection is confirmed. The reading should be less than 38.5°C.

The University of Cambridge body also advised that free laboratory testing for suspected cases was available through the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) flu surveillance scheme, which it runs alongside Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons in Newmarket.

EIDS said it had "identified a rising number of equine influenza outbreaks" across 15 counties, including Cambridgeshire. Most were in unvaccinated animals.

Horse flu was also reported in Suffolk, while the remainder of the East of England does not have any confirmed cases by EIDS.

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