New Research into AHS
The research has been commissioned by a government and industry working group - the AHS Working Group - which was founded and is led by Buckinghamshire charity The Horse Trust.
African Horse Sickness is a highly fatal and infectious disease, which affects horses, mules and donkeys. The disease is transmitted via Culicoides midges, also responsible for infecting cows and sheep with the Bluetongue virus. AHS kills 90% of the horses it infects and is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. There is concern that AHS may reach the UK as – Bluetongue has done.
The research project, which will be led by Keith Allison*, has been given £9,000 funding to carry out this work*. The results of the research will form part of the Government Control Strategy document defining how an outbreak would be managed.
Keith Allison said: "We are pleased to be able to carry out this work on behalf of the horse industry, into this potentially devastating disease."
Over the next two months, the researchers will be approaching the horse-owning public and industry for information. In the meantime, if you have any particular issue to raise with the research team, you can email Keith on k.allison@reading.ac.uk.
The evidence produced will be used to help fight for additional funding towards the development and production of an effective vaccine against the disease - there is currently no vaccine available for use in the UK. It will also be used to justify the need to make changes to the EU Directive and Control Strategy.
It is anticipated that the economic impact this disease would have on the £4billion horse industry would be enormous. Under the current EU Directive all equestrian activity would be prohibited as the transport of horses would effectively be banned. The social impact of the emergence of African Horse Sickness in the UK is likely to be difficult to quantify.
* The other two investigators from Reading University are Tony Wilsmore and Nic Taylor.
* The following organisations have made a contribution to fund the research:
- British Equestrian Federation (BEF)
- British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA)
- British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA)
- British Horseracing Authority (BHA)
- British Horse Society (BHS)
- NFU
- South Essex Insurance Brokers
- The Donkey Sanctuary
- The Horse Trust
- World Horse Welfare
