Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 7 (ANI): Uttarakhand Animal Husbandry Secretary Dr. B.V.R.C. Purushottam stressed regarding the Equine Influenza Virus spread in horses and mules.

During the press conference, he provided detailed information about the practical steps being taken by the Animal Husbandry Department, on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Animal Husbandry Minister Saurav Bahuguna, regarding the virus in the horses and mules operating on the Kedarnath route.

According to the authorities of Animal Husbandry, the National Equine Research Institute sampled horses and mules in two villages of Rudraprayag district on March 26 2025, and it was reported that horses were infected with the Equine Influenza Virus.

The department outlined the preparations for the spread of the virus; on April 4, they sampled 16 thousand horses and mules. The horses that tested negative in the sampling were allowed to be taken on the Yatra.

According to the release issued, out of the 16 thousand horses sampled, 152 samples have come positive, and these 152 samples were again tested for RT-PCR. In which the report of any horse or mule was not found positive.

The secretary also informed that information has been received about the death of 13 horses and mules during the 2-day journey. In which eight horses died due to diarrhoea and five horses were killed due to acute colic, along with this, their samples have been sent to IVRI Bareilly for a detailed report. He informed us that, given the seriousness of the matter, a team of more than 22 doctors had been deployed on the travel route.

To deal with this situation, a team the Animal Husbandry Department has deployed of one Chief Veterinary Officer, two Deputy Chief Veterinary Officers, 22 veterinarians, and two scientists from the National Horse Research Centre has beecretary of Animal Husbandry informed that apart from this, two specialist doctors of Pantnagar University are also being deployed. Both specialist doctors have also worked to prevent this disease in 2009.

'Healthy and unhealthy horses and mules are being identified to make the Yatra smooth. Unhealthy horses will not be allowed to go on the Yatra route. Also, healthy horses will be allowed to go on the Yatra route only after sampling and the report comes negative. He said that the thousand horses and mules come on the Yatra route from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh every year to prevent the Equine Influenza virus; a complete ban has been imposed on horses and mules coming from UP till now,' said the Secretary of Animal Husbandry.

Secretary Animal Husbandry further told that the Equine Influenza virus does not spread the infection from animals to humans, but its infection spreads very fast in horses and mules.

The Animal Husbandry Secretary said that given the increasing infection among horses and mules in Kedar Valley, local people, horse-mule traders and other organisations have also requested to extend the ban on horses and mules on the Yatra route. So that a further increase in infection among horses and mules on the Yatra route does not occur, according to the authorities, the district administration will decide at the local level regarding the resumption of the horse-mule movement. (ANI)