FEI News Update - What is Equine Coronavirus?
Friday 05 February 2021
Equine Coronavirus, or ECoV, is nothing new, it was first detected in the United States of America in 1999. ECoV is not linked to Covid-19 and cannot be transmitted to humans.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, there is an understandable concern associated with the term Coronavirus, but there are a large number of these viruses, and the vast majority only result in mild symptoms. One of the most prevalent Coronaviruses in humans is the common cold.
The equine variety, ECoV, which generally causes mild gastrointestinal issues, is endemic in a number of countries, including Japan. It is also present in the United States of America, parts of Europe and the Middle East.
As the FEI has just been advised by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) of an outbreak of ECoV last year at the Tokyo Racecourse – which is not an Olympic or Paralympic venue – they have created an informative factsheet about ECoV which has been published on the Tokyo Olympic Games hub.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the FEI Veterinary Department.
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