Through a press release, the organizing committee of the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour (MET) in Oliva Nova, Spain, wished to provide an update on the health situation, following confirmed cases of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) that occurred at the end of February.
Since February 28, 2023, at 6 p.m., no horse has shown signs of feverishness on the site and none has shown neurological signs. Fifty-six horses are currently present on the competition site and have been divided into different groups according to their state of health. As of March 3, forty-six of those horses have tested negative, while five have tested positive. For five others, reliable results have not yet been obtained.
Ten horses without significant clinical symptoms have, since the cancellation of the second part of the tour on February 22, been transferred to the Equine University Hospital of Valencia for prevention and close monitoring. In addition, two horses out of a group of six returning from Oliva Nova to Limburg, the Netherlands, tested positive for the EHV-1 virus and were placed in quarantine. Horses currently remaining at the site will begin moving to their home stables when the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) testing requirements have been met. Fourteen of them have already been given the green light to leave the site after testing negative as required.
Given the evolution of the situation, the MET organizing committee is confident for the time being that the fourth part of the MET tour, scheduled for April 4 to 23, 2023, will be maintained.
