African horse sickness strategy
An African horse sickness (AHS) control strategy for Great Britain has been published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Health (Defra).
The strategy was developed by a working group, which was chaired by The Horse Trust and involved the equine industry, research organisations and Defra. It is to be updated as and when new information becomes available.
It is hoped that, with a strategy in place, suspect cases of AHS will be identified as quickly as possible, the source will also be identified, and it will minimise spread of the disease.
The document guides through The African Horse Sickness (England) Regulations 2012 and The African Horse Sickness (Scotland) Order 2012, stating that the Welsh Government intends to introduce similar legislation. The strategy also supports exotic disease contingency plans in all three nations.
Following events as they may progress, the strategy begins with a section on a heightened risk of AHS from another country, then suspicion of infection in Great Britain, followed by confirmation of disease in Great Britain.
It covers disease control strategies, restriction zones, and active surveillance, providing further guidance via links as and when possible.
Click here to view the strategy.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
