Published Date: 2010-09-09 15:00:07
Subject: PRO/AH> Equine infectious anemia - Netherlands: (GE) RFI
Archive Number: 20100909.3250

EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA - NETHERLANDS: (GELDERLAND) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Wed 8 Sep 2010
Source: Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, press release [in Dutch, trans. &
summ, edited]
<http://www.minlnv.nl/pls/portal/url/page/minlnv/actueel/nieuwsitem?p_news_item_id=2007980>



Swamp fever detected in horses exported to Great Britain
--------------------------------------------------------
On 15 Aug 2010, British authorities detected equine infectious anemia (EIA,
or "swamp fever") in a horse among a group of 6 that came from the
Netherlands. Since the British authorities found some irregularities in the
certification of the imported consignment, they screened the whole group.
The other 5 horses were found healthy; the positive horse has, in the
meantime, been euthanised.

Stable flies and horseflies, the main vectors of EIA, are active in the
Netherlands between April and November. EIA has never before been found in
the Netherlands.

Measures
--------
The 6 horses came from a stable in Ede [in the province of Gelderland]
which has been placed under quarantine, banning movement of animals into or
from the stable. The other 18 horses are being tested by the New Food and
Consumer Product Safety Authority (nVWA). In case all of them are found
negative, the ban will be lifted. If positive horses are encountered, the
blockade will be maintained until 90 days after the removal of the last
affected animal. The test results of the nVWA are expected early next week
[week of 13 Dec 2010].

--
communicated by:
Christine Bijl
European Livestock Association (ELA) Secretary
<christinebijl@gmail.com>

[The origin of the EIA-positive horse(s) in the Ede stable, within the
Netherlands or from elsewhere, remains to be clarified.

The event described resembles a similar one in January 2010, when the UK
veterinary authorities discovered EIA in 2 horses included in a consignment
of 9 horses arriving from Belgium. Further investigations revealed that the
origin of the horses, in Belgium, was Romania, a heavily EIA-infected EU
member country. The disease spread in Belgium, so far causing 7 outbreaks
throughout the country. Very recently, EIA has been identified in horses in
Germany (State of Hessen), similarly related to "illegal movements",
apparently from Romania. This event is continuing (see ProMED-mail
20100908.3232).

Is the control upon imported horses, in the UK, more effective than that
applied upon equine movements and their trade into, within, and between
continental EU member states?! If this is the case, the EU horse industry
may have cause for grave concern; other equine diseases, including exotic
ones such as African horse sickness and equine encephalosis, may spread
similarly. - Mod.AS

Ede can be located on the maps of the Netherlands at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/netherlands_pol87.jpg> and via the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at <http://healthmap.org/r/06rT>. -
Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

See Also

Equine infectious anemia - Germany (03): (HE) ex Romania 20100908.3232
Equine infectious anemia - Germany (02): (HE) OIE 20100904.3180
Equine infectious anemia - Germany (BY) OIE 20100414.1213
Equine infectious anemia - UK ex Romania via Belgium: RFI 20100209.0439
Equine infectious anemia - Belgium: (WV) OIE 20100203.0371
Equine infectious anemia: UK ex Romania 20100121.0235

.................arn/mj/sh



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