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The UK’s leading equine health & well-being magazine
February/March 10 £2.95
Swamp Fever warning for horse owners By Louise Cordell HORSE owners are being urged to remain vigilant following an outbreak of Equine Infectious Anaemia in Wiltshire. The disease, also known as Swamp Fever, was found in two horses in a group imported from Romania and Belgium and both animals have now been destroyed. The news has shocked the industry as the last case of EIA in Britain was in 1976, however, experts are warning against panic. Lee Hackett, BHS head of welfare, said: “Obviously any outbreak of an exotic disease is very worrying and this is news that we did not want to hear. “There are lessons that need to be learned and some things will need to be tightened up – but it is important that people don’t overreact. “We have every reason to hope that these cases will form an isolated incident and, as long as there are no other reports within 90 days, it will have been successfully contained. “However, we are still advising horse owners to read up on the signs and symptoms, stay vigilant and to call their vet immediately if they have any suspicions.” Despite these reassurances there have been several calls for stricter disease control measures.
World Horse Welfare in particular is asking the European Commission to review its policies surrounding the disease including Romanian export procedures and the possibility of an EIA eradication programme. Roly Owers, WHW chief executive, said: “This incident clearly demonstrates the urgent need to review the Tripartite Agreement, to ensure that this derogation is not abused to permit the free movement of diseased horses into the UK. “Targeted post import checks are essential to maintain our freedom from disease and we trust that Defra will maintain a high level of checks on horses from Romania whilst the disease continues to be a problem there.” The charity is now advising owners to undertake rigorous checks when buying a horse from abroad and is discouraging anyone from importing Romanian horses. Following the outbreak, Defra has now announced that it could be handing over responsibility for the UK’s animal health policy to a new body. The proposed organisation would be led by a new chair and board and would have increased power to collect veterinary samples and to vaccinate animals and to make payments for animals destroyed for disease control purposes.
Scientists have identified the mutation responsible for Foal Immunodeficiency Syndrome (FIS), a condition which is fatal to all affected foals. FIS, more commonly known as Fell Pony Syndrome, affects not only Fell ponies but also Dales ponies. It causes foals to become anaemic and fall prey to
opportunistic infections and any foal born with the syndrome will not survive. Geneticists at the University of Liverpool and the Animal Health Trust expect a DNA test to identify carriers of the mutation to be available at the AHT from this month. More information, Page 22