Update on EIA in Devon

Cuffey

Cuffey

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Info from another Forum --poster is near neighbour

Case is in Black Torrington, Highampton, Devon, Horse was destroyed yesterday. Awaiting tests from Defra on other two horses and how Defra intend to handle the situation.
Speak with your Vet if concerned and in the area
Understand the infected horse came from Bulgaria and was purchased at Hatherleigh market some 2 years ago.

Please make sure EDT equipment is properly cleaned between horses and that vets are provided with the means to disinfect themselves and equipment between horses

Take extra precautions to kill stable flies etc
 
:eek::confused: So the horse has been in the country 2 years and they've only detected EIA now?

Hmm, think I need to read up on the disease to understand why it's not detected earlier.
 
quirky said:
:eek::confused: So the horse has been in the country 2 years and they've only detected EIA now?

Hmm, think I need to read up on the disease to understand why it's not detected earlier.
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Can only speculate but testing for the Wiltshire in contact horses was clear samples over 90 days interval so the disease if carried is expected to show within that time period

So has this horse caught it from a horse here which is a carrier but shows no symptome itself?
 
All the literature suggests a maximum 30 day incubation period post infection - people are trying to work out if the disease behaves the same in our temperate climate as it does in warmer climates - . I know it was announced at BEVA on Friday or Saturday...
 
oh no not again :(

if its any help ,i spoke to my vet on thurs to check if i could still compete on sat.

she said they(defra)were doing tests to see if the northumberland case was the shredding virus type or not ,so if it was there would be a km restriction zone around the yard ,if not i assume they have dealt with the horse and removed it so danger over ? i think

although all the horses on that yard are being tested and will be isolated for 90days anyway just incase

so hopefully fingers crossed the case in devon is not the shredding type and that would mean its not infectious
i'm no expert and didn't know there was shredding/not shredding type ,doe's anyone know anymore about this

so sorry for the person who has lost there horse down there :( and for everyone in the area who must be very worried ,i'm worried up here but hopefully ours is contained to origional yard
nightmare that the horse has been here 2 years with it undetected
 
I'll copy what I wrote in NL today here:


I was just talking about this on H&Hs fb page.
It concerns me that the UK does not seem to have the same regulations in place that require an annual coggins test like we do here. You can hardly take a horse anywhere in the US without documentation of a negative coggins. Most stables, horse sales, and shows will refuse your horse without one.

I am not an expert as it seems to be kept control around here and I have never seen a horse with this virus but my advice is to get your stables coggins tested if you are in the effected area and for sure protect your horses from biting flies that can spread this if they are near an infected horse. It sounds like a very nsaty thing to deal with that can get out of control quickly if the horse is not quarrantined and then destroyed



and the test in the US costs $30 so less than 20 GBP. Not sure what your vey charges.
 
quirky said:
:eek::confused: So the horse has been in the country 2 years and they've only detected EIA now?

Hmm, think I need to read up on the disease to understand why it's not detected earlier.
Click to expand...

You, plus the top equine epidemiologists... The impression I get is that there is much bafflement among vets as the disease "shouldn't" behave like this, and the horse in question "should" have been ill before it actually became ill, assuming it acquired the disease before coming to the UK.

Latest theory I heard wondering around is that the climate being different i.e cooler "might" mean the disease isn't behaving like it does in the literature from warmer climates where it's more common...

I do wonder if whoever imported it snuck it in without appropriate tests. Unless of course it did have a test before/on entry and has therefore acquired the infection in this country somehow.

Torrington is at least a decent distance away from any populations of feral ponies (Dartmoor/Exmoor/Bodmin) where illness would be detected more slowly than in more closely managed horses.
 
The vast majority of EIA postive horses NEVER show any symptoms. Most of them could go on to live very long, useful lives if it weren't for the laws requiring them to be destroyed. It's not a terribly contagious disease either. In the States, most competitions require a negative coggins within the last year to compete, a neg coggins is rquired to sell, and most boarding/training facilities require an annual neg. cogging. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion in order to generate money for vets. The coggins test has killed more horses than the actual disease.
 
is it only spread by fly bites, ie fly bites an infected horse then a non infected one and it ends up with it - if this is the case then on the plus side it will soon be winter & not so many flys about
 
that's very interesting, ticks have been very prevelant this year, my sister has had problems with ticks in her sheep. Sounds to me as if the horse in Devon had it all the time and it has only now become noticeable because it has become anaemic with a tick infection. But I can only summize of course.
Slightly off the point I find it very worrying that dealers are now sourcing their cheap horses from eastern europe, and selling on to the unsuspecting public, once upon a time irish horses were all the rage, then Dutch and now it seems they are coming from further afield. It is cheap ex racehorses as well, a girl i know was going to look at horses 5 to 6 hundred pounds, she's a school girl that has no means to support it, but because it was cheap she was contemplating buying one.
 
trick123,

If the BHS are to target irresponsible breeders, then perhaps they should extend that to "Irresponsible Importers", regardless of the country of origin. As we have a free market though, I can't see it working, unless buyers are made aware of the risks which they run.

When the risk of Blue Tongue was at its height a year or so back, Continental ruminants were still being imported, legally, and from areas of known risk. They were sent over with clean health checks, and then developing the disease, but subsequently. Madness.

I apologise for continuing this tangent!

Alec.
 
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How easily does it spread?
And where exactly was the case in Devon, as i saw the address Highhampton mentioned.. well less than a mile away from there, there is a very big yard, that has just had a rather large event...
Or is that getting a little drama queen ish?? don't know enough about it?
 
MissDeMeena said:
How easily does it spread?
And where exactly was the case in Devon, as i saw the address Highhampton mentioned.. well less than a mile away from there, there is a very big yard, that has just had a rather large event...
Or is that getting a little drama queen ish?? don't know enough about it?
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I do not know the exact location DEFRA do not release it--you rely on someone in the area driving past and seeing restriction notices and then posting the info

An infected fly needs to bite another horse within 4 hours
If the 2 other horses at the premises are clear, we dont know yet, then chances are it is contained unless this horse has been a competition horse and out and about before becoming sick.

Oh and I agree with you Alec far too many horses are on the move from who knows where and being passed around the horse sales
 
Apparently it's at Hole Station Campsite, in Highampton (this is according to today's Western Morning News).
They also said it's less than a mile from Lucy Wiegersma's yard.
 
Both other horses are clear however they will be under strict quarantine for 3 months. This is good news though as chances of it being passed to any others is very slim!
My heart goes out to owner for the horse that did have it though
xx
 
That's great news. As the proprietor of the "large event yard less than a mile down the road" I'm very relieved to hear that. What a shame we have to hear that form this forum rather than from Defra who have been less than forthcoming with information. Very sorry for the owners of the infected animal.
 
I live in italy where the disease is endemic. About an hours drive from my yard, in the province of Liguria, 80 horses have been destroyed due to being EIA positive. The awful thing is that general info does not exist and they are making a no 'big deal' out of the tragedy for those involved. Whole yards have been closed and shows etc cancelled, plus aniaml transport has been halted. I hate to think how much money is being lost by all. And why? Because equines fronm the eastern block slip through the controls daily.Eastern block equines should stay THERE!
 
neighnay said:
Both other horses are clear however they will be under strict quarantine for 3 months. This is good news though as chances of it being passed to any others is very slim!
My heart goes out to owner for the horse that did have it though
xx
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Very good news Neighnay for all of those that are involved. Cant take back the life of the horse that has been sadly PTS but hopefully this was a one off incident with no further euthensia needed.
 
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wireweiners said:
The vast majority of EIA postive horses NEVER show any symptoms. Most of them could go on to live very long, useful lives if it weren't for the laws requiring them to be destroyed. It's not a terribly contagious disease either. In the States, most competitions require a negative coggins within the last year to compete, a neg coggins is rquired to sell, and most boarding/training facilities require an annual neg. cogging. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion in order to generate money for vets. The coggins test has killed more horses than the actual disease.
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I live not far from outbreak in Devon, I have been worried sick as believed it to be very contagious disease. However after reading your post am much more informed, I belive the other two horses have been tested negative, but its sad the persons horse had to be destroyed, you would think there would be some way to save it.
 
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