FMD: Merial says horse medicines supply continues

Merial, manufactures of Eqvalan and Eqvalan Duo, has told H&H there will be no interruption to the supply of the popular horse wormers.

Merial is at the centre of an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regarding the outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Surrey.

Bert Burns, a spokesman for Merial, one of the world’s leading animal health companies said: “The laboratory in Pirbright [at the centre of the FMD investigation] is a dedicated foot-and-mouth site. The only medication it produces and works on is a foot-and-mouth vaccine.”

Mr Burns confirmed: “There is no knock-on effect from what is happening in Surrey to the supply of any medicines for horses.”

A final report by the HSE was due out this afternoon. It is expected to confirm the source of the outbreak. But an HSE spokesman told H&H there is “no timescale” now as to when the report would be published — and could not estimate whether the findings would be released today (9 August) or tomorrow.

Stay in touch with all the latest developments on the FMD outbreak on horseandhound.co.uk and in H&H magazine

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