H&H readers - the AHS article...

Weezy

Weezy

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In the news section there is an article about AHS. Within this it states that the outbreaks we had in Spain in the late 80s were eradicated through culling, and if AHS hits these shores then 90% of horses could be culled
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I have written to the editor, but I want you all to know that this doomsday scenario should never happen. I was at the epicentre of the Southern Spain outbreak, and the disease was not eradicated there through culling (we were not even permitted to put our sick horses down!!!), it was eradicated through VACCINATION. Vaccinations can be cultured (is that the right term?) and are effective - I am SO SO angry and passionate about this. We had a lot of horses die from AHS, but we had lots that lived - it hit one horse and not the one in the next box, and those that lived went on to live full and happy lives. To think that DEFRA could simply call for culling to take place makes me scared, because it isn't necessary when vaccination control can take place - sure, it would mean the disease would be round for longer whilst the correct strain was identified and the correct vaccinations put in place, but I for one would take my chances - having seen only 3 of my yard of 20+ die from AHS (we had a bottom yard, mine, and the top yard had approaching 100 horses on it, more of them died as they were polo ponies and the infection came from them - infected zebras in quarentine infected polo ponies who were then brought to our centre), there is no way, should the disease hit us, that I could watch a potential 17 horses get shot who would have survived it.

Naive? Maybe I am, but I have lived through AHS and come through the other side and I think sometimes culling is called WAY too quickly and it is a way for the authorities to be seen to be doing something, which might not necessarily be the right thing IMHO. I truely believe that awareness that a vaccination CAN be created and used to great effect is important for you all to know.
 
THANK YOU WEEZY. I was shocked to read the article on AHS this morning and it is going to frighten an awful lot of people unnecessarily.

There is no reason that I can think of (other than cost) which would preclude a vaccination programme once the strain has been identified. If this can be done for strangles and equine flu (which also mutate quite quickly) its totally over the top to suggest that a cull is the only option.
 
defra cull everything and common sense and the existence of a vaccine doesn't enter into their thinking one little bit

the only thing that might stop culling is the TB racing industry - 90% of TB racehorses culled would hit the betting tax and thus the gov. in the pocket

if they can vaccinate racehorses then they can vaccinate our riding and competition horses

so really I'm relying on the racing TBs to save our bacon on this one.
 
Thanks for this Weezy
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I haven't seen my H&H yet, but I would have been horrified had I read that, as I've been reading up on AHS lately due to the increasing risk of it coming here. I agree DEFRA are too quick to cull and I think they see it as an easy way to a) eradicate the disease and b) look as if they are doing something
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Hi have just been reading an old article on this in H&H dated march 2007. It says that this disease is fatal in 90% of cases and that the only way to deal with it would be vigorous slaughter policies as well as vaccines.Lets hope that since they have been talking about it for over a year they have come up with a better plan than culling.
 
I was horrified to read this today - plus the fact that we would receive no more compensation than £1 should that take place, regardless of the horse's value, and insurance companies would not pay out either
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Hi have just been reading an old article on this in H&H dated march 2007. It says that this disease is fatal in 90% of cases and that the only way to deal with it would be vigorous slaughter policies as well as vaccines.Lets hope that since they have been talking about it for over a year they have come up with a better plan than culling.

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Yes, it probably is fatal in 90% of cases BUT it does NOT mean that 90% of horses would get it!!! I am not lying when I say that we had one horse down with it but the next 5 in the line were absolutely fine and this was before any vaccination took place. You could walk up and down the lines of stables and it was so very odd as it seemed to pick and choose its casualties at random. All of our horses were within one centre and although the final figures for the top yard are not in my knowledge, as I said, in our yard less than 20% died. This CANNOT be ignored and I will take this all the way if I have to - yes, OK, our horses MAY be the unlucky ones and get AHS and die, but as I said, I will take my chances, thank you VERY much, rather than put a bullet through their heads and receive a payment of £1 for it.
 
P.S. I am going to try and find out how many horses were *culled* during our outbreak - to MY knowledge the figure is exactly ZERO - I cannot speak for other outbreaks, but certainly at our centre not ONE horse was culled, the disease was left to run it's course until the vaccine was available.
 
how can we find out about the vaccination.....do we need to rally round and swend a petition to defra to support the developement of a vaccine...
 
As far as I am aware the vaccine that we eventually used was cultured from the spleen of one of our infected horses - there are various strains so we could stockpile for one strain then be hit by another
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I am trying to get as much VALID information as I possibly can, but will need to translate some Spanish vet papers, so it won't be overnight!
 
Scary ... just been reading wiki they say there are vaccines

There is currently no treatment for AHS.

Control of outbreak in an endemic region involves quarantine, vector control and vaccination. To prevent this disease the affected horses are usually slaughtered and the uninfected horses are vaccinated against the virus. Three vaccines currently exist, which include a polyvalent vaccine, a monovalent vaccine and a monovalent inactivated vaccine. This disease can also be prevented by destroying the insect vector habitats using insecticides

What is scary is that it is related to Blue tongue and isn't that in the UK now?
 
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Now everyone knows how farmers and smallholders - even piddly little no account ones like us - feel when farm livestock diseases hit (FMD) or are threatening (Avian Flu) - oh yes, blame the little guys, Bernard Matthews was just unlucky, the real culprits are the backyarders. Cull.
If AHS hits, and if DEFRA orders a cull, I shall be heartbroken, just as I was with my sheep, and just as I would be with my chickens. But unsurprised.
Deathra, my husband calls them.
 
As I understand it the vaccines in S Africa are live which would not be licenced here. There has to be a 'will' to spend money on a killed vaccine but as above there are several strains like the Blue Tongue, so it would be possible to stock pile the wrong strain. Many of us lobbied for Blue Tongue vaccine, for it to be compulsory, slow progress but we are winning
The Blue Tongue experience gives us more chance of getting vaccine for AHS
The Horse Trust have neen nagging Gov for a long time on this subject
My only advice is start controlling midges/flies around your premises now

I lost my sheep in the FMD cull it still hurts--I will never forgive DEATHRA/MAFF or the vets who did their dirty work--they take an oath to save life
 
Thanks for posting this - could you get Admin to stick it? It is a terrifying knee jerk reaction with Defra; if it breathes and is ill, kill it. They might have a bit of objection, though!
 
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My only advice is start controlling midges/flies around your premises now

I lost my sheep in the FMD cull it still hurts--I will never forgive DEATHRA/MAFF or the vets who did their dirty work--they take an oath to save life

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Yes, we lost sheep, too. You don't get over it in a hurry.

controlling midges? Our yard, while otherwise idyllic, is on a dairy farm, which is organic and gorgeous, er.. right next to a slurry lagoon from the preorganic days, which is naturalising into a beautiful wildlife pond, and also, a large, otherwise harmless and fragrant manure pile.
So I think I may as well give up.
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if it breathes and is ill, kill it.

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Am not against giving horses with AHS a quick death, believe me, it is NOT pretty to watch, but to cull the whole yard just because one has it is what we need to prevent.
 
Oh to me the article read "90% of horses will get AHS" which really shocked me. Glad to hear that isn't the case, must have been the wording of it...
Is anyone looking into a vaccine at the moment? It is obvious that people are becoming aware of it, and although it's not yet hit it would be better to be prepared and prevent a mass culling.
 
There are various vaccines, but if AHS hits we will not know which strain it will be until it does - so there is no win/win scenario. Best bet is to as we did in Spain (explained above, not that well, but hey, I am no vet!) and no, I can assure you that 90% of horses would NOT contract AHS and expire, from my experience anyway!
 
my mums friend rang to tell us about the article and she called our vet instantly and he is with you weezy and apparently a vaccine is in production in france right now as we speak. He also added that for us to be susceptible to this by way of mossy's our temp would have to rise signifcantly (think tropical weather). He was appalled at the headline as he said who woudn't be worried by that!
 
Thank you Weezy, I must admit my only experience of AHS is that we could not import horses from Spain for years after the outbreak.

The article in H&H did alarm me, having read your post I am now absolutely furious with DEFRA. They got away with the culling thing during the F&M outbreaks and it looks like they would try to do the same thing to our horses if (when?) AHS hits our shores. Am almost incandescent with rage at the bloody waste of space that is DEFRA.
 
What a lovely thing to print to panic massive amounts of people who probably have little prior knowledge of AHS.

As per usual, DEFRA appear to have chosen to act with as much sympathy or emotion as a tea spoon
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I hope they get a better contingency plan for dealing with the disease than that; particularly with the climate changes making it more likely that, sooner or later, AHS will strike europe again.
 
Will be interested to hear more about this vaccine, as there are different strains, so it is pretty hard to know WHAT you are going to need until you have a presented strain to analyse...I DO sincerely hope there has been a breakthrough of a *cure all* but I shall not hold my breath!
 
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