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Animal Health Trust |
Interim Report – September 2011 #3 (30.09.11)
AFGHANISTAN
Glanders (Burkholderia mallei)
On 21st August 2011 the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported an outbreak of Glanders affecting three horses in Kabul, Afghanistan. The diagnosis was confirmed by bacteriology and the affected horses were euthanased. The horses had been brought into the country before June 2011. They arrived from Pakistan in a group consisting of 130 horses. Quarantine measures were used as a control method.
AUSTRALIA
Hendra Virus
Since 30th June 2011, Hendra virus has been confirmed as the cause of death of 21 horses on 17 properties in two states in Australia. Cases have included ten horses on eight properties in New South Wales and eleven horses on nine properties in Queensland.
FRANCE
Equine Herpes Virus-4 Respiratory Disease
On 6th September 2011 the Réseau d’Epidémio-Surveillance en Pathologie Equine (RESPE) reported an outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus-4 (EHV-4) respiratory disease in Orne, France. Nine horses were affected with two horses showing fever but the other seven horses did not exhibit any clinical signs of disease. Positive diagnoses were made by PCR of nasal swabs. The affected horses were French Trotters used for breeding and were unvaccinated.
On 25th September 2011 RESPE reported a case of EHV-4 respiratory disease in Calvados, France. One horse, an unvaccinated three-year-old Thoroughbred at a training establishment, was affected showing clinical signs of nasal discharge and pyrexia. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR of a nasal swab. No further cases have been reported.
Equine Herpes Virus-1 Abortion
On 20th September 2011 RESPE reported a single case of Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1) abortion in Orne, France. The affected horse was a Thoroughbred breeding mare which had been vaccinated. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR of fetal organs.
GREECE
West Nile Virus (WNV)
On 24th August 2011 the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported three outbreaks of West Nile Virus with a further three outbreaks also reported on 9th September 2011. The outbreaks reported on 24th August comprised of two outbreaks in Thessalia, Greece each involving a single horse and an outbreak in Attiki, Greece also involving one horse. The horses did not show any clinical signs of disease and were not treated. The outbreaks reported on 9th September comprised two outbreaks in Attiki, Greece; one in which two horses were affected and the other in which one horse was affected. The third outbreak occurred in Thessalia, Greece and this horse was reported not to have shown any clinical signs of disease. All horses were treated with supportive therapy. All cases were identified during serological surveillance by competitive and IgM capture ELISA. Epidemiological investigations are being carried out and screening control measures are in place.
ITALY
West Nile Virus (WNV)
On 15th September 2011 a case of West Nile Virus was reported in Fruili-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Department for Veterinary Public Health, Nutrition and Food Safety, Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy to the OIE. One horse was clinically affected among 11 susceptible animals with diagnosis confirmed by serum Ig-M capture ELISA.
On 19th September 2011 two further outbreaks of West Nile Virus were reported Oristano, Sardinia by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Department for Veterinary Public Health, Nutrition and Food Safety, Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy to the OIE. Two horses among 24 susceptible animals were affected in the first outbreak and three among 26 animals were affected in the second outbreak. The affected horses were used for breeding and showed clinical signs of the disease. They were confirmed positive by serum Ig-M capture ELISA.
On 22nd September 2011 another case of West Nile Virus was reported in Fruili-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Department for Veterinary Public Health, Nutrition and Food Safety, Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy to the OIE. One horse was clinically affected among 48 susceptible animals with diagnosis confirmed by serum Ig-M capture ELISA.
MEXICO
Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis (VEE)
On 10th August 2011 the Servicio nacional de sanidad, inocuidad y calidad agroalimentaria (SENASICA) reported two outbreaks of Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis (VEE) to the OIE. An 8-week old Quarter horse was affected on a breeding/leisure premises. The affected animal died despite receiving symptomatic treatment and diagnosis was made by virus isolation and RT-PCR. On 19th August 2011 two horses were affected in Veracruz, Mexico. A mare older than five-years died and the second horse, a two-year-old Quarter horse was treated symptomatically. Diagnoses were by virus isolation and sequencing. An epidemiological investigation is on going in both outbreaks, along with screening. Control measures being applied include vaccination.
ROMANIA
Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA)
A number of outbreaks of EIA have been reported in Romania by RESPE, based on information received from the French Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. On 29th July 2011 two separate cases occurred involving single horses in Judet de Neamt and in Judet de Brasov, respectively. Further outbreaks occurred in Judet de Brasov on 23rd June 2011 where three horses were affected and an out break reported on 8th August involved one horse in Judet de Tulcea. All affected horses were confirmed positive by serological testing via a national programme of surveillance. It is not clear whether the affected horses showed clinical signs or have been euthanased. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing and restrictions are in place.
SPAIN
West Nile Virus
On 12th September 2011 the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported an outbreak of West Nile Virus in Cadiz, Spain. One horse was confirmed to be positive byserum ELISA and treated symptomatically. Epidemiological investigations are being carried out.
UNITED KINGDOM
Equine Influenza
On 28th September 2011 the Animal Health Trust confirmed a case of equine influenza (EI) in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. The affected animal was a five-month-old filly showing clinical signs of pyrexia, cough, mucopurulent nasal discharge and tachypnoea. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a positive nucleoprotein antigen ELISA result for a nasopharyngeal swab. No further cases have been reported.
USA
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
On 13th September 2011 the International Society for Infectious Diseases reported one fatal case of eastern equine encephalitis in Midland County, Michigan, USA.
Equine Herpes Virus-1 Neurological Disease
The California Department of Food and Agriculture have reported four outbreaks of equine herpes virus-1. An outbreak reported on 24th August 2011 occurred in Sonoma County, California, USA. It involved a 15-year-old Oldenburg mare that was treated at a veterinary referral hospital. Two additional horses with pyrexia tested positive via nasal swabs. On 13th September an outbreak was reported in Tuolumne County, California, USA with one mare affected and treated at a veterinary referral hospital. On 15th September, two further outbreaks were reported. One outbreak occurred in San Joaquine County, California, USA comprising two horses showing clinical signs of disease. It is reported that the horses were exposed to the virus on visiting Tuolumne County. The second outbreak occurred in Tuolumne County, California, USA and involved seven horses. Five horses showed neurological signs of disease and the remaining two horses were pyretic. One horse showing severe neurological signs was euthanased. Confirmed cases have been isolated and any in-contact horses have been quarantined.
Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA)
On 26th August 2011 the International Society of Infectious Diseases reported an outbreak of equine infectious anaemia in Johnson County Arkansas. The outbreak occurred on a ranch where 38 horses were euthanased and two other horses died. It has been reported that there is no indication of disease transmission beyond the affected premises.
Regards
International Collating Centre