Equine Influenza: Two Devon Sanctuary Sanctuary Sites Closed Due to an Epidemic

Two donkey sanctuaries are closed after an outbreak of equine influenza.

Horse racing was canceled across the country after the discovery of the highly contagious disease at Donald McCain's barn in Cheshire on Thursday.

Four new cases were confirmed Sunday at coach Simon Crisford's stable in Newmarket, Suffolk.

And on Monday, the donkey sanctuary announced the temporary closure of its centers in Sidmouth and Ivybridge, both in Devon, as a precautionary measure.

The charity said in a statement: "Due to the recent equine influenza outbreak in the UK, we have made the precautionary decision to temporarily close our sites to the public until further notice.

"Our resident donkeys are not affected by this outbreak, but we are watching them closely."

The British Horseracing Authority imposed a six-day closure on horse racing after all three initial cases were reported.

The company hoped to be able to resume the race on Wednesday after announcing that 700 tests had been made negative, the same number having to be totally clear of more than 2,000 samples received by the Animal Health Trust.

However, the authority said Sunday night that she still could not tell when the race would be back.

He advised to make only urgent visits to stables where cases of equine influenza have been recorded.

A total of 174 yards has been tested since a match in Newcastle on February 5th was identified as a potential risk.

Certified trainers, veterinary surgeons' offices, farriers and racing schools are encouraged to maintain their increased vigilance in biosecurity.

In 2001, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease led to a two-month suspension of the two-month race in Britain, resulting in the cancellation of the Cheltenham Festival, which takes place every March.