Report of the International Equine Influenza Roundtable Expert Meeting at Le Touquet, Normandy, February 2013.

This research article focuses on the global issue of equine influenza (EI), an infectious respiratory disease affecting horses. The research discusses the prevalence of EI, the importance of surveillance to monitor and track the virus, the role of vaccination, and the significant economic impacts of EI outbreaks on the equine industry.

Introduction to EI and its Global Impact

• Equine influenza (EI) is recognized as a serious respiratory disease that affects horses worldwide. Countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland are considered safe havens. However, others such as Japan, South Africa, and Hong Kong get occasional infections.
• The disease can severely affect the equine industry, as evident in the 2007 outbreak that cost Australia an estimated $AU1.6 billion for control and eradication.

Role of Vaccination

• Many organizations in Europe and North America have mandated the vaccination for EI since the 1980s to safeguard both professional and recreational equine activities.
• Although most horses in the racing and competition sectors are vaccinated, the proportion of vaccinated horses outside these sectors is unknown. Despite this, few countries have vaccinated a sufficient number of horses to prevent the propagation of EI in the event of an incursion.

Importance of Surveillance

• Surveillance plays a critical part in controlling EI by monitoring outbreaks and distinguishing the antigenic and genetic characteristics of the strains, particularly changes in the haemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein.
• Most comprehensive surveillance schemes can be found in France, Germany, Ireland, the UK, and the USA. Such surveillance procedures predict antigenic and genetic drift through HI assays and HA sequence data.

Challenges and Regulatory Recommendations

• Updating EI vaccines to comply with ESP recommendations poses significant challenges. Despite updates, no available EI vaccines fully comply with European regulatory requirements. This is due to the expensive, time-consuming and challenging process.
• Regardless of these hurdles, maintaining a high rate of vaccination is a crucial control measure. Annual outbreaks of EI still occur, revealing the need for constant vigilance and action.

The International Panel Meeting

• Due to the disagreement and confusion over certain aspects of EI vaccination in the European equine industry, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) organized an international expert conference in France, February 2013. Aim of this meeting was to reach a consensus on pressing issues concerning EI, including surveillance, biosecurity, vaccine selection, and future research topics.
• The panel identified nine critical issues that form the basis of this report, with future steps and recommendations presented.