December 02, 2007	Sunday	Ziqa’ad 21, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 1: The alarming situation caused by the spread of equine influenza in the Lahore Race Club (LRC) stables, which disturbed the entire racing schedule earlier this week, is stated to be reverting to normalcy after the taking of effective and timely protective measures adopted to control the disease.

The contagious disease described by veterinarians as an airborne virus had spread to the extent of not even sparing a single stable where one or more horses were not affected.

When contacted by Dawn on Saturday the trainers, including Haji Fazal Hadi, A.B. Malik, Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Hanif and a few others, said that their stables were badly affected. However, no horse at present shows any signs of sickness although some can still be seen coughing. Noticing the attack of this disease, the trainers almost immediately had each horse vaccinated and put on a course of antibiotics, which had a positive effect in keeping a check on the further deterioration of animals.

According to Haji Fazal Hadi, the affected horses in his stables have lost 10 to 25 kilograms each. The attack has left them in a rather weak condition.

Meanwhile LRC Secretary Shahzad Akhtar has called in the veterinarian Aslam Akhtar Zaidi, a specialist from the Brooke Hospital for Animals, to suggest measures to combat the disease early and effectively and also for its complete eradication from the LRC premises.

In a briefing on the disease vis-a-vis its spread in Pakistan, Dr Zaidi said that the disease has found its way from Afghanistan to Peshawar through the horses brought there from Kabul. The animals are available for cheaper prices there. After this the disease reached other cities including Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Lahore and Multan.

The LRC has arranged for Dr Zaidi to present a lecture on equine influenza so that the knowledge of owners, trainers and their agents could be updated. The lecture will be held in the club premises on Monday at 10.00am. It also includes a discussion on techniques and methods to combat the disease. Brooke Hospital for Animals is a charity organisation run purely for the care and treatment of horses, ponies and mules, with its headquarters based in England.

LRC in the meantime has issued a circular putting a complete ban on the entry of new horses from other towns and cities.

Shahzad Akhtar told Dawn that it looks like they will be able to hold the midweek Gymkhana race meeting on Wednesday (Dec 5). Entries have already been invited and handicaps will be issued on Monday.