The FEI has today published the second part of the Report on the 2021 outbreak of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in mainland Europe.
The outbreak resulted in the deaths of 18 horses in mainland Europe and confirmed related cases in 10 countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland
This stage of the report focuses on the Return To Competition protocols put in place to ensure the safe resumption of FEI Events after the six-week FEI-imposed lockdown on international sport in Continental Europe.
It also explores the EHV-1 By-Laws and sanctioning system and the elements that were incorporated into the FEI Veterinary Regulations 2022.
The document has been produced by FEI Veterinary Director Dr Göran Åkerström and Grania Willis, former FEI Communications Director and now Executive Consultant to the FEI.
“It was important to take a really forensic look at the 2021 EHV-1 outbreak itself, and this was the basis of Part 1 of the Report, but it was equally important to review the Return To Competition measures post-lockdown”, Dr Åkerström said. “This is what we have done in Part 2, along with the related By-Laws and the resulting amendments to the FEI Regulations.”
Part 2 of the Report sits alongside Part 1 of the Report published on 28 February 2022, which provides a comprehensive picture of the outbreak, including the series of events, causes, roles and responsibilities, and analysis.
Part 3 of the Report will incorporate further risk mitigation of EHV-1, including conclusions from the scientific EHV-1 vaccination review commissioned by the FEI, and the suggested way forward. It will be published in May 2022.
