African horse sickness cases reportedly rising amid vaccine shortage
AHS, a viral disease spread by insects and endemic to Southern Africa, is causing concern among horse owners in the region. Horses need to be vaccinated against AHS between June and October each year, which is the peak season for the disease.
Symptoms of the disease include high fever and a lack of appetite, and infected horses can die within days. The lack of available vaccines at OBP, a veterinary pharmaceutical company, has become a massive challenge for farmers, with reports of horses dying and some farmers losing multiple horses.
The extent of AHS cases is yet to be quantified, but cases have increased this year. However, it is difficult to determine whether the lack of available vaccines is the cause. Despite the increase in cases, the reported numbers have not reached a level that would require a complete halt to the movement of horses.
The situation may improve soon, as meetings were held earlier this week between OBP and South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, Thoko Didiza, to discuss the vaccine shortage. Hopefully, by the next vaccination season in June, the problem will have been rectified.
Adrian Todd, managing director of South African Equine Health and Protocols (SAEHP), confirmed that many horse owners were unable to get vaccines last year when horses needed to be vaccinated.
He stated that “they have been struggling for the last two years to obtain vaccines, but it appears that the situation may be resolved soon. Todd noted that reported AHS cases had not reached a point where the movement of all horses needed to be halted.”
Henry Geldenhuys, president of TLU SA, expressed his concern over the situation, stating that the lack of vaccines affected AHS and several other vaccines needed for livestock farming. He stated that many farmers were struggling to keep their animals alive and could only watch as their horses died.
The exact extent of AHS cases is yet to be quantified, but the increase in cases this year has caused alarm among horse owners and veterinarians in the region. The vaccine shortage makes it challenging for horse owners to protect their animals against the disease, which can have fatal consequences.
As the situation develops, authorities and veterinarians closely monitor the region’s AHS cases. Hopefully, the vaccine shortage will be addressed soon, and horses can receive the necessary vaccinations to protect them against AHS during the peak season.
Source: Farmers Weekly
