Stadl Paura reports approx. 40 of 150 horses infected with influenza

On Monday, the Austrian equestrian sports center Stadl Paura reported that there were cases of influenza in a stable at the facility. Since then, there has been a daily update on developments on site. On Tuesday, it was reported that the “majority of the sick horses” were on the mend. However, “a few horses” with clinically conspicuous symptoms had been added. Figures were released yesterday for the first time: around 40 out of 150 horses had fallen ill.

As a result, two international show jumping competitions that were due to take place in the coming weeks were canceled. However, the event area would not have any contact with the part of the facility with the sick horses.

In fact, we heard the same from German participants in the CDI, which had taken place ten days before the outbreak of the disease, as well as from the managing director of the equestrian center, Johannes Mayrhofer: “There was no contact between the stock horses and the event horses. The stabling facilities for the event horses are also around 500 meters away from the main stables as the crow flies. This means that, from a human perspective, no horses could have been infected there.”

If you talk to vets with many years of professional experience, they still remember the times before the introduction of compulsory vaccination against influenza for competition horses. Back then, there were regular situations like the one in Stadl Paura. That has changed in recent years. However, Stadl Paura also says that the sick horses were vaccinated.