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Scientists call for Midge Survey
Leading scientists Dr James Wood, director of Cambridge University’s Infectious Diseases Consortium
and Professor Philip Mellor, head of the Department of Arbovirology, Pirbright Laboratory, today called
on the Government and the horse industry to get together and fund a full survey of the life, movement
and breeding of the Culicoides species midge.
Dr Wood said: "We are looking at developing computer simulation models to predict spread of African Horse
Sickness in the UK without recourse to extensive animal experimentation.
"African Horse Sickness doesn't have to be like Foot and Mouth Disease here we have the opportunity in
advance of an outbreak where we can have disease experts working with the mathematicians so we have useful
models which can be used intelligently rather than as a knee jerk reaction to an overwhelming national challenge.
"We need to look at distribution of the midges, their capability to spread disease; their seasonal incidences
and establish a surveillance system. It is very important that expert entomological data can be incorporated
into the modelling approach to inform our disease policies. If we have an outbreak of African Horse Sickness
this year, Defra won’t know how to apply the statistics because currently we have no idea about how infection
could spread in this country."
Prof Mellor added: "Defra is performing wonders on meeting stakeholders and liaising with the European Commission
and the World Animal Health Organisation to ensure sensible requirements for the control of Bluetongue which is
already within a few miles of our coast. So far they have missed out nothing other than contingency plans for
which the strength of the science base is in question!"
Prof Mellor explained: "The Defra work in Bluetongue in cattle and sheep is in many ways related to African Horse
Sickness but we need to extend this work by applying the date on horse populations, movement and the specific means
of transmission. There is also a real need to develop better vaccines. If resources permit, we would like more
emphasis on African Horse Sickness so we would be able to say with some degree of confidence which form of control
would be effective - and at the moment we have least information on the midges which transmit the virus. We must
learn how to control the vectors and where and when they are about. Models are only as good as the data in them
and at the moment the data are sparse."
And he added: "There is certainly a requirement to increase the number of scientists working on this virus, especially
entomologists. Most seem to be about to retire, and there are huge problems in relation to ensuring that their expertise
is available in five to 10 years when the impact of climate change is likely to be greater than it is today."
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