Horses scheduled to travel to Hong Kong for the 2008 Olympic Games will soon fall within the 60-day supervisory period—and the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) would like to take this opportunity to remind all concerned that the health certificate which must be used states that the horses must be resident in a country listed by AFCD (the HKG Veterinary Authorities) and under veterinary supervision during the last 60 days prior to entering pre-export quarantine. An explanatory memo produced by the Transporting Agent Peden Bloodstock can be found on the FEI website underlining in detail the requirements that these horses must meet. This also means that movement of these horses must be recorded from now on, as their movement profile will have to be certified on the health certificate; an example is also provided on the FEI website.

Equine Influenza: As many of you may know, the HKG authorities have included some additional requirements for protection against equine influenza, after the recent outbreaks in Australia and Japan. As already explained during the February Workshop, this means that all horses will be subject to a nasal swab taken in pre export quarantine (PEQ), which is then being tested by a rapid test for the presence of equine influenza. If any horse unexpectedly tests positive, a follow-up PCR test will be required to verify whether the horse can travel or not. The nasal swab test to be used will be provided by the Hong Kong Jockey Club; however, we strongly recommend that horses be tested prior to PEQ as well, to prevent any sudden surprises while in PEQ, which could have devastating consequences for other horses in PEQ.

In terms of equine influenza vaccination, the HKG authorities require that the last booster be given within 90-14 days prior to entering PEQ. We would strongly advise to give the last booster at 60-30 days, to make sure the horse has a solid immune protection level when arriving at the PEQ facilities.

The complete details with regards to the travel and quarantine requirements can be found on the FEI website, under the heading Horse Health Requirements.