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Animal Health Trust |
Interim Report – September 2011 #4 (30.09.11)
FRANCE
Equine Herpes Virus-4 Respiratory Disease
On 30th September 2011 RESPE reported four outbreaks of EHV-4 respiratory disease in France in Rhone, Val de Marne, Oise and Orne. In Rhone five non-vaccinated male Thoroughbred pleasure horses among 16 animals were affected showing clinical signs of cough, nasal discharge and pyrexia. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR on a nasal swab sample. In Val de Marne one non-vaccinated female French Trotter among 25 animals at a training centre was affected showing clinical signs of cough, nasal discharge and pyrexia. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR on a nasal swab sample. In Oise two vaccinated 2-year-old female Thoroughbreds among 13 animals at a training centre were affected showing clinical signs of pyrexia. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR on a nasal swab sample. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR on a nasal swab sample. In Orne one non-vaccinated 6-month-old female Thoroughbred among 150 breeding animals was affected showing clinical signs of cough, nasal discharge and pyrexia. A positive diagnosis was made by PCR on a nasal swab sample.
ITALY
West Nile Virus (WNV)
On 29th September 2011 cases of West Nile Virus were reported in Oristano, Sardinia; Matera, Basilicata and Crotone, Calabria by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Department for Veterinary Public Health, Nutrition and Food Safety, Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy to the OIE. In Sardinia, four outbreaks were notified involving 16 cases among 38 susceptible horses and of which three horses died. Diagnoses were confirmed by serum Ig-M capture ELISA. In Basilicata, one case occurred among three susceptible animals and in Calabria two cases were confirmed among eight susceptible horses. Diagnoses were confirmed by serum Ig-M capture ELISA and seroneutralisation test (SNT).
SOUTH AFRICA
Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM)
Following the first notification of CEM in South Africa in an imported breeding stallion in April 2011, on 29th September 2011 five further CEM cases were reported in South Africa by the Chief Director, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Animal Production and Health, Pretoria, South Africa.
All five notified CEM cases were stallions located in Randfontein (1), Tshwane (2) and Germiston (1) in Gauteng Province and in Stellenbosch (1) in the Western Cape and had been at the semen collection and embryo transfer centre at the same time with infection transferred by indirect contact with the original CEM positive imported stallion.
Diagnoses were confirmed by agent isolation on culture by the Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (National Laboratory). Control is by quarantine, movement restrictions, screening, disinfection and treatment of infected animals according to the methods described by the UK’s Horserace Betting Levy Board Codes of Practice.
Regards
International Collating Centre