African Horse Sickness

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lj81

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I'm sure I'm not the only one to have been worried by the information in the equestrian press regarding AHS. However, although I understand that the disease has the potential to be devasting, I've been looking on the net and worry that there is a certain amount of scare mongering going on. In Africa a vaccine is ALREADY available. And the reports of a 90% mortality rate don't seem to tie in with the figures for the last 3 years. The cases for each year have been LESS than 500. And as for limiting movement, the disease is spread by midges, NOT HORSE TO HORSE.
It seems like a good excuse to wrangle more money out of horse owners pockets. The vaccine ALREADY exists. Get it licenced to the UK. Let us get our horses vaccinated. Job done!
 
As far as I know the vaccine used in Africa is a live vaccine--not entirely safe and would never be licensed for use in EU because of obvious risks
Research into suitable vaccine is being done funded by Horse Trust.
 
African horse sickness is spread by the same species of midge as bluetongue in cattle....bluetongue is already in france and the uk and these types of midges are also found in ireland.they are blaming global warming for the spread i think..

This summer was the first real outbreak in the uk numbers of cases are growing and cattle dont undergo as much travelling as horses particularly those that compete do...

As for the disease not been spread from horse to horse that doesnt matter,one infected horse in an area with these type of midges could be all it will take to start the spread....

midge bites takes in blood, goes to the next horse bites and infects the horse with the virus from the residual blood of the 1st feed on its suckers..thats how it spreads...

The mortality rates for horses in Africa can be lower than 90 (the stats are usually fom 70 to 94 percent mortality in new area reports) AHS is an endemic disease in africa and many horses may have some immunity to the disease due to previous contact with the disease...and a growing national herd immuntiy from the survivors.

in 2003 in 89 outbreaks in south africa 510 cases were reported and 410 deaths,in 2004 196 outbreaks 335 cases and 166 deaths before 2003 that area of south africa(western cape province)was considered AHS free zone from which horses could be exporting exported....

As for vaccination,its expensive for one thing and like all vaccines can have side effects esp live vaccines
Besides AHS is a virus,it still can mutate and become immune to vaccines made now surely its a much better idea to simply monitor the disease with caution and only vaccinate when nessecary?
No vaccine for AHS is currently licensed in the EU. Use of a modified live vaccine for AHS (such as the one being produced by OBP) carries a risk of vaccine virus reversion to wild type (i.e. the virus used in the vaccine can potentially undergo changes that mean it could actually infect vectors, and subsequently susceptible equidae). Thus at the present time, the vaccine will not be considered for use in the UK other than in an emergency situation.

I think the scare mongering is a good thing.The more people to hear of the disease the more likely they are to recognise it when it hits britain and hopefully it can be contained quicker and easier without having a scenario similar to foot and mouth...

AhS is not a disese you want as endemic in your country.It would destroy the equine business...
 
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