Coolmore Helps Ireland Get Equine Herpesvirus Vaccines

A total of 10,000 vaccine doses to protect horses against the potentially fatal equine herpesvirus have been secured for Ireland, with the first portion of the shipment arriving March 19.

The order of the vaccine follows a recent outbreak of equine herpesvirus at a high-profile showjumping event in Valencia, Spain. There is concern that Irish horses competing on the continent could potentially bring the virus into the country. The virus can spread quickly and is hard to cure, but vaccination can provide significant protection.

There have also been recent cases of EHV-1 in the United States. EHV-1, from the family of the equine herpesvirus, is a contagious DNA virus that can cause respiratory and neurological disease and abortion in pregnant mares. 

The shipment to Ireland was organized from U.S. suppliers by Coolmore and the O'Byrne & Halley Veterinary Practice, with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, who moved rapidly to provide the AR 16 license required to import veterinary medicines in exceptional circumstances. 

The vaccine will be made available at cost to both the Thoroughbred and sport horse industries and will be available for supply to veterinary practices through emailing sales@viltd.ie with EHV in the subject line.

Charlie McConalogue T.D., minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, said: "With this dangerous virus present in Europe we have moved quickly to support efforts to secure the necessary vaccine to protect our equine industry.

"The department's veterinary experts are monitoring the situation closely, and we are urging all owners to avail of these vaccines for their horses and furthermore to take extra precautions to minimize the risk of transmission."