OLYMPICS-RIO/EQUESTRIAN Olympic authorities downplay risk of bacterial disease at equestrian test event

Record ID: 144851

  • Title: OLYMPICS-RIO/EQUESTRIAN Olympic authorities downplay risk of bacterial disease at equestrian test event
  • Date: 6th August 2015
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AUGUST 6, 2015) (REUTERS) DEODORO OLYMPIC PARK WHERE EQUESTRIAN TEST EVENT IS TAKING PLACE ATHLETE RIDING A HORSE COACH WATCHING ATHLETES RIDING HORSES ON THE TRACK SCREEN SHOWING THE ORDER FOR COMPETITORS VARIOUS OF ATHLETES RIDING HORSES ROUND THE TRACK SEATING AREA VIEW OF THE TRACK REPORTERS INTERVIEWING HEAD OF VETERINARY SERVICES FOR RIO 2016,
  • Embargoed: 21st August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADBV6X4PCK3ABN4VJSBVTF92IS
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The polemic regarding a potential glanders epidemic among horses at the Deodoro Olympic Park where the equestrian events will take place in next year's Summer Games was downplayed by authorities as the venue was handed over to Olympic authorities at Thursday's (August 6) test event.
    Some 500 horses belonging to the army and kept in the Deodoro complex were submitted for examinations after two tested positive for the disease in April. The Ministry of Agriculture says results will come out in October.
    Glanders is a rare but highly contagious disease caused by the Burkholderia Mallei bacteria, which causes swelling below the animal's jaw and mucous discharge from the nostrils. If an animal tests positive for the disease it must be put down.
    Those 500 horses remain on the grounds within the Deodoro complex but have been removed from the area where Olympic events will take place during the past six months.
    According to Head of Veterinary Services for the Rio 2016 organising committee, Juliana Freitas, this guarantees there will be no risk for those competing in Olympic events.
    "We installed what we call a sanitary break, which means that for six months not one horse has been present in these facilities where the test event is taking place. In all the areas for horses there have not been any horses for six months. If there are no horses, there are no horse-borne diseases," said Freitas at the opening of the test event on Thursday.
    Head of Veterinary Services for the Italian delegation, Marco Eleutere, said that he felt confident that the local organising committee had done everything it could to control the risks.
    "It is of course a danger as you have to kill an infected horse because the glanders disease attacks again. It is extremely contagious and the horse has to be killed. I would say that the organising committee has given us great confidence that it has done everything possible to prevent contagion. The risk has been eliminated and well controlled by the committee, which has left us feeling calm about it. It is something that has to be dealt with seriously as it is particularly dangerous and contagious," said Eleutere.
    His confidence was shared by Australian silver medalist and coach for the Canadian team, Clayton Fredericks, who says he has been monitoring the venue's progress for some time.
    "It has been very interesting to see how this venue has developed over the years. From what we have seen so far it is making very good progress in terms of the safety and facilities that the horses are going to enjoy here so we are pretty impressed with what we have seen," Fredericks said.
    Rio 2016 President, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, sought to prevent further speculation into the risks by citing the authority of the International Equestrian Federation in evaluating the venue's suitability.
    "I think that the most important thing throughout the course of the remaining year is to overcome issues where we may have doubts and where we may not have doubts. The International Federation approved this venue for the competitions, and we are in a very secure position," Nuzman concluded.
    Twenty Brazilian horses will take part in the test event which runs through Sunday. Olympic authorities say it would be too expensive for international athletes to bring their own horses, and transportation costs would be at the delegations' expense.
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