Equine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes significant suffering in horses and can rapidly spread through equine populations.
Equine influenza causes significant suffering for affected horses. The characteristic deep, dry cough is painful and exhausting, and horses may cough hundreds of times per day during acute illness. Fever, muscle soreness, and loss of appetite accompany the respiratory signs, leaving horses feeling profoundly unwell. The required convalescence period is long - horses forced back into work too soon risk serious complications including pneumonia and heart muscle damage. For working horses, the forced rest period disrupts their routine and social connections. Vaccination programs protect horses from this suffering and are an important component of responsible horse ownership.