Countryside
Well-Known Member
Everyone involved with horses is concerned to learn this week of the confirmed outbreak of Equine Infectious Anaemia, or Swamp Fever.
The highly contagious and untreatable disease of horses, donkeys and mules is spread by the exchange of bodily fluids, including via insect vectors. Affected horses remain infectious carriers for life and must be put down or permanently quarantined to prevent transmission to other horses. This is the first occurrence of the disease in Great Britain since 1976.
Defra this week confirmed that the disease was found in two horses recently imported from Romania, a country where EIA is endemic. The infected animals had to be destroyed and the stable yard they came from remains under quarantine. Horse & Hound has today reported that over 50 horses based at the yard, including the 8 horses which were imported with the two carriers, are now undergoing tests.
Whilst Defra has advised the millions of horse owners in the UK not to be overly concerned about the news, questions are being asked in the equestrian community as to exactly how EIA came into the UK in the first place.
In a statement, Environment Minister Hillary Benn has stated that EIA was detected in the horses as part of routine post import testing. The recurring question from horse owners everywhere is why a test for a highly contagious disease, which poses such threat to our horses and our countryside, is not done before horses are imported into the United Kingdom.
The Coggins test, a simple test for EIA, is currently conducted after a horse is imported into the country. There is no way of enforcing it, as very rarely are the whereabouts of imported horses followed up. It really does seem like a case of shutting the gate once the horse has bolted. Surely it would be relatively simple for anyone importing horses to the UK from high risk areas on the continent, such as Italy and Romania, to have to produce a negative Coggins test alongside the, now compulsory, horse passport?
We should be thankful that Defra have acted quickly and taken every possible precaution to ensure this outbreak is suppressed. However, we should also be thankful that a disease spread by insects has been detected in the country during one of the coldest winters on record. The general consensus is that this, as well as Defras immediate response, has played a large part in containing the outbreak thus far. It is not unrealistic to think that, if EIA had been detected in the height of British summertime, the equestrian community might have been facing a more serious outbreak.
We hope that the Government will examine further preventative measures, such as the implementation of simple tests such as Coggins prior to the import of horses from hi-risk areas, to prevent outbreaks of notifiable diseases - not just in horses, but in all animals imported into this country. Whilst the advice from Defra states the risk of further spread of EIA amongst horses is very low, it is perhaps time to act now, to prevent the import of any more carriers of the disease who pose such a threat to the horse population.
The highly contagious and untreatable disease of horses, donkeys and mules is spread by the exchange of bodily fluids, including via insect vectors. Affected horses remain infectious carriers for life and must be put down or permanently quarantined to prevent transmission to other horses. This is the first occurrence of the disease in Great Britain since 1976.
Defra this week confirmed that the disease was found in two horses recently imported from Romania, a country where EIA is endemic. The infected animals had to be destroyed and the stable yard they came from remains under quarantine. Horse & Hound has today reported that over 50 horses based at the yard, including the 8 horses which were imported with the two carriers, are now undergoing tests.
Whilst Defra has advised the millions of horse owners in the UK not to be overly concerned about the news, questions are being asked in the equestrian community as to exactly how EIA came into the UK in the first place.
In a statement, Environment Minister Hillary Benn has stated that EIA was detected in the horses as part of routine post import testing. The recurring question from horse owners everywhere is why a test for a highly contagious disease, which poses such threat to our horses and our countryside, is not done before horses are imported into the United Kingdom.
The Coggins test, a simple test for EIA, is currently conducted after a horse is imported into the country. There is no way of enforcing it, as very rarely are the whereabouts of imported horses followed up. It really does seem like a case of shutting the gate once the horse has bolted. Surely it would be relatively simple for anyone importing horses to the UK from high risk areas on the continent, such as Italy and Romania, to have to produce a negative Coggins test alongside the, now compulsory, horse passport?
We should be thankful that Defra have acted quickly and taken every possible precaution to ensure this outbreak is suppressed. However, we should also be thankful that a disease spread by insects has been detected in the country during one of the coldest winters on record. The general consensus is that this, as well as Defras immediate response, has played a large part in containing the outbreak thus far. It is not unrealistic to think that, if EIA had been detected in the height of British summertime, the equestrian community might have been facing a more serious outbreak.
We hope that the Government will examine further preventative measures, such as the implementation of simple tests such as Coggins prior to the import of horses from hi-risk areas, to prevent outbreaks of notifiable diseases - not just in horses, but in all animals imported into this country. Whilst the advice from Defra states the risk of further spread of EIA amongst horses is very low, it is perhaps time to act now, to prevent the import of any more carriers of the disease who pose such a threat to the horse population.
