What Countries Have African Horse Sickness?

African horse sickness is now considered endemic to tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, south of the Sahara, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia and Somalia in the east and extending in the south to South Africa.

Is African horse sickness in the UK?

There has never been an outbreak in Great Britain. African horse sickness is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect it you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301.

Is African horse sickness in the US?

African horse sickness has not occurred in the United States. What animals get African horse sickness? African horse sickness can affect horses, donkeys, mules, zebras, camels and dogs. Zebras and donkeys rarely develop serious disease, but horses and mules can become very sick and often die.

Where did African horse sickness come from?

African horse sickness is a devastating disease that causes great suffering and many fatalities amongst horses in sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by nine different serotypes of the orbivirus African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and it is spread by Culicoid midges.

Can horses survive African horse sickness?

13) How severe is the disease? The acute pulmonary (mainly affecting the lungs) form can have a mortality rate of 90% in horses, 50% in mules and 10% in donkeys. The cardiac form generally has a lower mortality but recovery time can be protracted.

Can humans get EEE from horses?

EEE is only spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. EEE is not spread person-to-person, people to animals, or animals to people.

How contagious is West Nile in horses?

How does it spread? WNV is not contagious and can’t pass between horses or humans. Mosquitoes pass WNV from infected birds to horses.

Why is there a West Nile vaccine for horses but not humans?

Though the product’s safety had been thoroughly proved, its efficacy against West Nile had not. But the USDA judged the virus to be a crisis, since horses are particularly susceptible—about a third of infected horses will perish, compared with around 10 percent of humans who exhibit symptoms.

Can dogs get African horse sickness?

For the purposes of the OIE Terrestrial Code, the infective period for AHSV is 40 days for domestic horses. Sudden death can also occur without preceding signs. The pulmonary form is reported to be the most common form in dogs. Fatal cases have been described in dogs that ate infected meat during epidemics.

Can a horse get West Nile if vaccinated?

Horses vaccinated against other mosquito- borne diseases, such as Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE), are not protected against West Nile virus. However, there are new combination vaccines that include West Nile virus with Equine Encephalomyelitis strains.

Are horses originally from Africa?

In fact, new archaeological evidence suggests that horses were domesticated and ridden in northern and western Africa long before the Ancient Egyptians harnessed them to their war chariots.

How is African horse sickness virus transmitted?

Disease transmission:
AHS is spread by biting midges (Culicoides) and dogs can become infected by eating contaminated horse meat.

Where are horses native to Africa?

Indigenous African horses
There is talk of an indigenous sub-Sahara horse, The Dongola, named after a town in Sudan. The breed came to prominence in the Sudan and was traded across the border into Ethiopia. Latterly it was most abundant in northern Cameroon on the other side of the continent.

How long does it take for a horse to recover from West Nile?

Recovery times depend upon the health and age of the affected horse. Many horses will improve within 5 to 7 days of displaying clinical signs, however about 20-30% can exhibit severe neurological deficits for several weeks.

What is the number one cause of death in horses?

The following is a partial transcript. Sandy Taylor, DVM, PhD, DACVIM-LAIM: One of [the common causes of death in horses] is exercise-associated death. That’s typically seen in racehorses and high-level performance horses, and those are typically due to pulmonary hemorrhage or some underlying heart disease…

Can a horse recover from EHV?

In most cases, horses exposed to EHV-1 will develop a fever and possibly nasal discharge and then go on to recover. However, the neurologic EHM strain has a high mortality rate of 30-50%. Recovery time can vary from several days to more than a year.

What are the symptoms of EEE in humans?

Most people infected with EEE virus do not become ill. When symptoms do occur they can range from mild fever and headache to coma. Other symptoms include high fever, fatigue, muscle aches, neck stiffness, tremors, or confusion.

Where is EEE most common?

EEEV transmission is most common in and around freshwater hardwood swamps in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states and the Great Lakes region.

Can you survive EEE?

Approximately a third of patients who develop encephalitis due to EEE virus die, and many of those who survive have mild to severe brain damage.

How often do horses need West Nile vaccine?

The West Nile-INNOVATORTM vaccine requires two injections, spaced three to six weeks apart. This part is critical in order for the vaccine to take its full effect. Immunity may not develop for four to six weeks after the second injection. A booster is recommended every six months to continue protection.

What are 3 signs of West Nile virus?

Symptoms of severe illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.