Announced from Irish EBF, due to the lack of Artevac vaccine this year, not all stallions have received an EVA vaccine prior to the 2024 breeding season, which will increase the risk of an EVA outbreak in the country.
An enhanced EVA testing protocol is advised and based on information received from numerous stallion farms:
- the minimum requirement is a negative EVA test 30 days before covering
- but please check with the individual stud farm to ensure you are meeting their requirements, as some farms are asking for further tests
To help with the increased testing requirement, the Irish Equine Centre have reduced the pricing on repeat EVA testing to €15 + VAT on all EVA testing after the initial bundle package of CEM/EVA/EIA (€66 + VAT).
Additionally, the Irish EBF will fund extra EVA testing set up on each Saturday during the covering season to help with turnaround times, starting this Saturday 24th February.
We strongly urge all breeders to adhere to the ITBA Code of Practice for Equine Viral Arteritis which can be found on the ITBA website here