EIA again

C

Changes

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 December 2009
Messages
393
Visit site
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/301657.html

Quote from the article;

The horse arrived in a group of six horses from the Netherlands and all were tested for EIA as part of routine post-import testing.

The other five horses have tested negative.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: "This shows the success of our post import testing regime

Because they check EVERY horse imported, right?? :rolleyes:

This is laughable. ALL horses should be checked at the ports, and be refused admittance without a current health certificate and a Coggins Test.
The amount of horses that migrate to the UK from Europe via France with no testing whasover because of the TPA is scary.

DEFRA needs to wake up and face up to changing the import regs, and then actually starting to apply them on the ground.
 
An EIA Eliza test can be done in less than 24 hours, however there are few labs approved to perform these tests abroad, that are 'accepted' in this country. Only 1 in Germany that I can think of.
 
This is frightening, very. If it does hit the UK (and sure-as-hell it will, big time one day coz we just don't police our borders properly in any sense of the word) it will be horrific, an equine foot-and-mouth waiting to happen.

For once, DEFRA in my view is acting properly, but its a classic case of shutting the stable door once the horse has gone ...... what are horse passports for if not to act as a guard against this sort of thing?
 
angelish said:
oh shite thats really close to me
thought there was something up there was a helecopter flying very low over the yard my horse is at today and all the yards in our area :(
Click to expand...

Dont panic but do:
Encourage your friends to take all precautions, particularly with fly protection for your horses, including spraying stables or hanging fly traps to kill stable flies.

Read up:
http://www.hblb.org.uk/sndFile.php?fileID= 66

Transmission of Disease
The EIAV is transmitted between horses by transfer of infected blood or blood
products. This can occur in the following ways:
• By insect vectors such as biting flies (including horse, deer and stable flies)
and (very rarely) mosquitoes.
• By administration of infected blood products (including plasma) and
unauthorised blood-based veterinary medicinal products.
• By contaminated veterinary or dental equipment.
• By other equipment that may become contaminated by blood and act
as a vector between animals, e.g. twitches and curry combs.
• From mare to foal via the placenta, or, rarely, via virus-contaminated
colostrum or milk in newborn foals.
Transmission through semen is uncommon but is a potential risk.
Both clinically and sub-clinically affected horses can be a source of infection for
other horses, although animals suffering acute disease or recurring bouts of
chronic disease are likely to be the most highly infectious.
 
thank you cuffey ,its really hard not to panic when its less then a mile away :(

lots of flies about today too :(

they seem to be dealing with it quickly ,there are signs up outside the yard telling people not to ride down there but that it is not closed to the public (they have a public footpath/bridleway past the yard )

all we can do is sit with fingers crossed and hope they have caught it in time ,it is annoying that these horses are not being tested before they come in to the country :(
 
I come from the land of EIA, the southern United States. There is no need to panic. It's not a very virulent disease, in fact it is fairly hard to catch. Actually in the days before the coggins test, very few horses actually died from the disease. Most of the horses that test positive are asymptomatic and can live normal, useful lives. A few will get the accute form and will die or be euthanized and a few will get the chronic form, will be unthrifty, have recurrent episodes and have to be euthanized. I have known horses that have been pastured together for years with little to no fly control. One horse may test positive for the disease and all the others will be negative. If you are concerned, practice good fly control particularly for those big horse flies and deer flies. Do you have those in the UK?
 
yes we have horse flies over here .

they did seem to get the case earlier in the year under control and isolated to one area quite quickly ,so fingers crossed hopefuly this will be the same

it doesn't matter how the horses are effected over here though ,if they test possitive for it they are imediatley PTS :(

its just a bit to close for comfort esp with a helecopter hovering about
 
wireweiners said:
I come from the land of EIA, the southern United States. There is no need to panic. It's not a very virulent disease, in fact it is fairly hard to catch. Actually in the days before the coggins test, very few horses actually died from the disease. Most of the horses that test positive are asymptomatic and can live normal, useful lives. A few will get the accute form and will die or be euthanized and a few will get the chronic form, will be unthrifty, have recurrent episodes and have to be euthanized.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately here in the UK, it's a notifiable disease, so any horse that tests positive will be euthanased, whether showing symptoms or not. :(

Sorry, cross-posted angelish.....
 
Have the UK horses already left for WEG? If not then didn't the US ban all UK imports immediately during the last outbreak?

Hope this outbreak is contained and best wishes to those with horses in the area.
 
I don't know why the US would ban all British horses because of an outbreak of EIA. As long as the horses on the team have a current negative coggins, there would be no problem. Plus its not like we don't have the disease over here already.
 
Changes said:
Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: "This shows the success of our post import testing regime
Click to expand...

Post import being the operative word. What are the horses doing between when they are tested and the results found - they should be quarrantined, IMO.
 
Another horse found with EIA this time a cob in Devon, came with a Belgian passport 2 years ago but of Ramanian origin!! Check out DEFRA!!! How sad for the owner, 'they' will have the horse pts my heart breaks for the horse and owner.
 
Italy is endemic but the importation of equines from Rumania is banned unless they are destined for breeding (very stringent blood testing/docs required) or they on their way to the slaughter house (no Coggins required).
We have an outbreak at the moment and so far 80 equines have been put down. All yards are closed and all animal transport is also banned. No one knows when the bans will be lifted and many yards are on their knees. This is just up the road from me and I pray to god that it remains there. It is so sad that the UK doesn't take this threat more seriously.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top