Biosecurity Essential for Equine Athletes
Professor Josh Slater of The Horse Trust’s Scientific Sub-Committee has been seconded as biosecurity adviser to the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Prof Slater, who also sits on the African Horse Sickness Working Group, will be based in Hong Kong, where the equestrian events are focused.
About 250 horses are expected to fly in to Hong Kong from all over the world – so biosecurity is essential to ensure that they neither bring in infection nor contract any of the insect-borne diseases which are prevalent in south-east Asia - including Japanese encephalitis which is related to similar diseases in the USA. Vigilance for equine influenza virus will be high following last year’s outbreak in Australia.
Three groups of people are involved in maintaining horse health during the Games – those who run the events “on the ground” (a group of vets mostly from the Hong Kong Jockey Club working alongside the international team vets); the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), which deals with the regulatory aspects of the competition (that horse passports are in order, jumps conform to requirement and that random drug testing and winners’ drug testing processes are properly undertaken) and those responsible for getting the international horses safely into Hong Kong and through quarantine. Prof Slater will lead this last group.
As with previous Olympic events, there is a stringent protocol to be observed before the horses are allowed to fly to Hong Kong. The first phase is testing and certification that they are free of a specified list of diseases; then a period of quarantine. All of Europe’s Olympian horses will gather at Stansted, complete with their health certificates, before flying to Hong Kong at the end of this month.
On arrival, they will again enter quarantine in a purpose-built facility at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sha Tin Racecourse, with air-conditioned insect proofed stables designed to minimise risk of disease transmission and with dedicated exercise grounds. Once safely through quarantine, the competitions begin.
“My work is to supervise the import and quarantine process in Hong Kong,” Prof Slater said. “The Chinese authorities have appointed local advisers at collection hubs around the world who will work with the local animal health offices to deal with any issues that arise. I will work with the Hong Kong government authorities to advise on any issues relating to biosecurity and infectious diseases that may emerge.
“This is very exciting and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do this,” he added.
