Re: Cologne racecourse.

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 10:12:44 GMT

That's really scary-especially the bits about 50% nonsymptomatic in early stages, non specific symptoms,and persistent viraemia

Wynne

Re: Cologne racecourse.

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:41:56 GMT

That copied badly. I can forward the PDF if anyone wants an easier to read version

Re: Cologne racecourse.

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:40:45 GMT

There's a briefing note on the practice email address as of 6.24 this evening:

Equine Infectious Anaemia Briefing Note for Veterinary Surgeons
Purpose
1. The purpose of this briefing note is to inform veterinary surgeons that a case of
Equine Infectious Anaemia has been detected (3 October 2012) in a horse in
Cornwall.
2. Veterinary surgeons are asked to be vigilant for clinical signs of disease and to report
any suspicions to their local AHVLA office.
Clinical signs
3. Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) is an acute disease of equines caused by the Equine
Infectious Anaemia virus (EIAV) and characterised by recurring fever and anaemia. It is
usually spread by biting flies.
4. The clinical signs are fever, anaemia, weight loss, poor condition. In naive populations
up to half of cases may not exhibit clinical signs before they become AGID positive. The
presenting clinical signs are nonspecific even in the acute phase and, significantly,
permanently infected chronic cases may not present with clinical signs even when
viraemic. The level or viraemia varies.
5. Survivors become persistently infected – and are an intermittent or continuous source of
virus for further spread of disease. All infected animals, including those that are
asymptomatic, become carriers and can be infectious for life. The owners of such
animals are unlikely to realise that they are infected unless serological testing is done.
Infected animals must be destroyed to control the spread of the disease.
6. EIA affects all equid species. There is no breed prediliction and any age of equines may
be infected.
Page | 2
Transmission routes
7. Mechanical transmission by large biting flies is the major natural transmission route for
EIA. Interrupted feeding of such insects, which are thought to have relatively short flying
times, is the major affector for transmission. The painful bite from the mouthparts of
these flies stimulate defensive movement by the horse, which often results in an
interruption of the blood–feeding. When interrupted, the fly is motivated to complete the
feeding as soon as possible. It then attacks the same or a second host and feeds to
repletion. In this manner, any infective material from the blood of the first host that is
present on the mouthparts of the insect can be mechanically transmitted to the second
or subsequent host.
8. A 200 metre distance between infected and susceptible horses is considered to
adequately reduce the potential for transmission of EIAV by horseflies. The EIAV
survival time in virus positive insects has been estimated to four hours (infected vector
mouthparts). Mosquitos and Cullicoides do not transmit EIAV.
9. Mechanical transfer of EIAV is the second major risk for spreading infection. It may occur
by contaminated veterinary equipment, e.g. hypodermic needles or syringes, dental and
surgical equipment, acupuncture and tattooing needles, twitches and grooming
equipment. The risk is directly correlated to the quantity of blood transmitted. Iatrogenic
spread may also occur due to the use of biologicals from infected donors, especially
blood or plasma products and hyperimmune serum.
10. Direct transmission may occur via EIA infected milk from mare to foal and, to a far lesser
extent, via infected saliva & nasal secretions. Reproductive transmission occurs through
natural or artificial insemination of infected semen collected during the viraemic phase of
the disease, or the implantation of infected ova or embryos. Transplacental EIA infection
may also occur from mare to foal. Progeny of EIA+ve mares can be positive on Coggins
Test due to maternal antibodies for up to 6 months but PCR & RT-PCR can be used for
RNA and proviral DNA in serum and secretions.
11. EIA virus is generally labile and survives for approximately four hours on the infected
mouthparts of large biting flies, the major transmission route, and is reported to persist
for up to 96 hours on hypodermic needles. Persistence of EIA virus in dried blood &
faeces, nasal secretions & saliva, genital secretions, semen, ova & embryos and tissues
depends on storage conditions.
12. There is no effective EIA vaccine.
Issued: 03 October 2012

Re: Cologne racecourse.

james herriot lied — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:02:04 GMT

We're not completely sure where this horse is, but it's somewhere in Mid-Cornwall. AHVLA were phoning round Cornish practices yesterday to say that they had a suspected case, but refused to define 'Mid-Cornwall'. We haven't had confirmation of the case, but I suspect it'll be through officially tomorrow.

In the meantime, any old horse with anaemia and a bit of a temperature (pretty much all of them) is going to be sparking panic. As somebody noted drily on another thread today, very few will get diagnosed by an attending vet, but by the ministry vet called in for second opinion....

Re: Cologne racecourse.

Rob Davis — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:43:27 GMT

I heard it reported on the radio that the horse had been diagnosed with "Swine Fever"!

Re: Cologne racecourse.

Busybee — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:22:24 GMT

Make that IN this country..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19820952

Re: Cologne racecourse.

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:54:31 GMT

EIA so close to this country is scary

Wynne