Ireland

Horse racing canceled in Britain over flu outbreak

Published Feb. 6, 2019 8:04 p.m. ET

LONDON (AP) — Horse racing has been canceled in Britain on Thursday due to an equine flu outbreak.

The British Horseracing Authority said it was informed Wednesday night by the Animal Health Trust of three confirmed flu cases from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard.

They raced on Wednesday and the BHA says they potentially exposed the flu to a "significant number of horses from yards" in Britain and Ireland.

Racing was due to take place Thursday at several tracks.

The BHA says "The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare and the potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease."

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