How Is African Horse Sickness Spread?

African horse sickness is spread by biting midges (also called “punkies” or “no-see-ums”) (vector). Mosquitoes and biting flies may also be able to transfer the virus. Dogs can become infected by eating (oral) contaminated horsemeat.

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.

Is African horse sickness contagious?

African horse sickness (AHS) virus causes a non-contagious, infectious, arthropod-borne disease of equines and occasionally of dogs. The virus is widely distributed across sub-Saharan African where it is transmitted between susceptible vertebrate hosts by the vectors.

Is horse sickness contagious?

The disease is infectious but non-contagious and causes high fatality rates in susceptible hosts. It is listed as a notifiable viral disease by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) because of its severity and the potential risk it poses for rapid global spread [1].

How is AHS spread?

This disease is spread by insect vectors. The biological vector of the virus is the Culicoides (midges) species, but this disease can also be transmitted by species of mosquitoes including Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes including A. aegypti, and species of ticks such as Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus.

How do you stop the spread of EHV?

Increase biosecurity measures since humans can inadvertently spread the infection on their hands, grooming equipment, etc.

1. Wash or sanitize your hands between interacting with each horse.
2. Take care when filling water buckets and feed tubs – neither the hose nor the feed scoop should have contact with the bucket or tub.

How long can EHV live on surfaces?

Because EHV-1 can spread through contact with surfaces harboring the virus, you must know how long the germ stays viable on surfaces. Surfaces can keep the virus alive up to seven days in normal conditions and up to a month in ideal settings. Luckily, most disinfectants readily kill this virus.

How long does African horse sickness last?

The incubation period is, on average, between 5 and 7 days. The viremic period generally corresponds with the onset of fever and can persist for anywhere between 2 and 14 days, but possibly longer.

Can EHV spread to humans?

EHV-1 is not transmissible to humans. How is the virus shed from an infected horse? Horses infected with EHV-1 shed the virus in their nasal secretions. Respiratory shedding of the virus generally occurs for 7-10 days, but may persist longer in infected horses.

Can a horse survive EHV-1?

Almost all horses have been infected with EHV-1 by two years of age and have no serious clinical effects.

What diseases can horses pass to humans?

The diseases associated with horses include rabies, ringworm, methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, campylobacterosis, cryptosporidiosis and infections with Rhodococcus equi, brucellosis, and Anthrax.

What disease is transmissible from horses to humans?

Rabies can be transmitted from horses to humans through a bite or contact of infected saliva with the eyes, nose, or mouth, or broken skin. Humans: Symptoms in humans include fever, headache, itching at the site of infection, and pain.

How do equine diseases spread?

An infectious disease agent can be passed from an infected animal to a susceptible animal through contact with saliva, nose-to-nose contact, rubbing and biting. To prevent direct contact transmission: 1.

What are the symptoms of AHS?

Signs of disease include fever, difficulty breathing, coughing, sweating, and frothy discharge from the nostrils. Death usually occurs within a few hours after illness is seen. The cardiac form of the disease causes fever and swelling (edema) around the eyes, lips, cheeks, tongue, and neck.

What countries have African horse sickness?

It is a nationally notifiable disease that is exotic to Australia. Historically the spread of African horse sickness (AHS) has been limited to Africa with occasional outbreaks in Europe, making the recent incursions of AHS in Malaysia and Thailand of particular significance.

What are the two forms of African horse sickness?

Four different forms of African horse sickness exist: the peracute (pulmonary) form, the subacute edematous (cardiac) form, the acute (mixed) form, and horsesickness fever. Sudden death can also occur without preceding signs.

How is EHV-1 transmitted to horses?

EHV-1 is contagious and spread by direct horse-to-horse contact via the respiratory tract through nasal secretions. It is important to know that this virus can also be spread indirectly through contact with physical objects that are contaminated with the virus: Human contaminated hands or clothing.

How is EHV-1 spread in horses?

The most common way to spread EHV-1 is by direct horse-to-horse contact. Horses can get the virus through infected air droplets or nasal discharge of infected horses. EHV-1-aborted foals can also act as an infection source. Horses can carry EHV-1 but not show signs of illness.

Can you vaccinate against EHV?

Vaccines available against EHV-1 and EHV-4 infection are available and are being progressively more widely used. They do not completely prevent individual horses from infection but they reduce the risk of infection to other horses and the severity of clinical signs if infection occurs.

How is an animal tested for EHV?

The preferred specimens for the real-time EHV-1 and EHV-4, RT-PCR assay are nasal swabs or whole blood. For all neurological cases, nasal swabs and whole blood should be submitted. A fresh brain sample may also be tested in neurologic cases.

What is the incubation period for EHV?

The virus incubation period is highly variable and can be as long as 14 days. Prognosis is good for horses not affected with the neurologic form and varies for those with neurologic signs. EHV has not been shown to be zoonotic.