WARNING! African Horse Sickness

[admin]

Hi

For all the horse/donkey owners out there who don't already know, there have been several incidences of African Horse Sickness in South Africa recently, chiefly in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Please visit -- African Horse Sickness Trust -- Home Page for details.

It is vital for all those in areas affected by this dreadful disease to take precautions including the use of insect repellents, stabling horses before dusk and letting them out later in the mornings, covering horses up with suitable rugs, ensuring that any cattle dung on your farm is picked up and make sure your animals are vaccinated. In hot spots it is advisable to skip outrides.

What is African horse sickness?
African horse sickness (AHS) is a highly infectious non-contagious, vector born viral disease affecting all species of Equidae. It is classified as an Orbivirus of the Reoviridae family of which there are 9 serotypes. All serotypes (1-9) are distributed throughout South Africa, although there is a variation in their temporal distribution. It is endemic to (occurs naturally on) the African continent, and is characterised by respiratory and circulatory damage, accompanied by fever and loss of appetite.

Please take this very seriously and work together with your neighbours or those living in the area where you stable your horses.

[ches]

Ooh I'm an equine aficianado too. I'd seen that AHS has affected some people really badly, and something anecdotal about vaccinated horses not doing as well as unvaccinated horses. Though what I do remember of the AHS vaccination is that it takes several years to develop resistance to all the strains. Thank God my friends' horses are in the Western Cape which is traditionally safe from AHS.