In Gauteng, the African horse sickness (AHS) season started only in February this year and several cases appeared to show atypical signs, with blood samples from horses suspected of having AHS actually positive for equine encephalosis virus (EEV). AHS is usually characterised by rapid respiration, but a high fever only tends to be present when the horse is suffering from biliary or infected with EEV.
In cases where horses tested positive for EEV, they had a high rectal temperature.
Like AHS, EEV is an orbivirus transmitted by biting midges (Culicoides spp). However, EEV does not have as high a mortality rate as AHS. Despite this, EEV did result in some horse deaths during the AHS outbreak this year.
Research has shown that EEV occurs in horses, zebras and donkeys in South Africa. Unlike AHS, EEV does not appear to affect carnivores like dogs and lions. So far, no cases have been reported in humans.
HISTORY
This story is from the June 11, 2021 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the June 11, 2021 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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