African horse sickness in Zimbabwe: 1972 to 1981.
Abstract: During the nine years from October 1972 to September 1981 African horse sickness (AHS) virus was isolated from 23 suspected cases of the disease in Zimbabwe and complement fixation antibody titres indicative of recent infection were detected in a further 49 horses. The 23 isolations belonged to seven of the nine known serotypes of AHS virus. In response to a questionnaire in 1980 the owners of 20% (1,654/8,000) of the horses in Zimbabwe indicated that they had recorded 207 cases of clinically diagnosed AHS with 107 deaths from 1975 to 1980. Fifty-six cases with 50 deaths had occurred in foals and many of the other cases occurred in horses which had been vaccinated. It was concluded that the immunity induced by vaccine and maternal immunity warranted further investigation.
Publication Date: 1988-08-01 PubMed ID: 3194977DOI: 10.1007/BF02240087Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- African Horse Sickness
- Diagnosis
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Management
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Serotypes
- Vaccine
- Vaccine development
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Veterinary Science
Summary
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This research paper focuses on the spread and impact of African Horse Sickness (AHS) in Zimbabwe from 1972 to 1981, revealing multiple serotypes of AHS virus along with high death rate in horses including the vaccinated ones, warranting further studies regarding vaccine-induced and maternal immunity.
Research Objective and Methodology
- The primary objective of this study was to understand the prevalence and consequences of AHS among equine populations in Zimbabwe over a nine-year period, spanning from October 1972 to September 1981.
- The investigators isolated the AHS virus from suspected disease cases and used a complement fixation test to identify the AHS antibody titres, indicative of recent infection.
- Additionally, a survey was conducted in 1980 where horse owners in Zimbabwe were asked about their experiences and observations of AHS, specifically regarding clinically diagnosed cases and resultant mortalities.
Findings
- The researchers found that the AHS virus was detected in 23 suspected cases of the disease during the study period. Moreover, recent infection was detected through antibody titres in an additional 49 horses.
- The isolated viruses belonged to seven of the nine known serotypes of AHS, indicating a diverse representation of virus strains.
- In the 1980 survey, it was found that out of approximately 8,000 horses, owners of 1,654 (or 20%) reported 207 clinically diagnosed AHS cases and 107 deaths between 1975 and 1980. Of these, 56 cases with 50 deaths occurred in foals while many other cases occurred in vaccinated horses.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that AHS was a significant disease among horses in Zimbabwe during the study period, with the virus being detected in multiple cases and resulting in a significant number of deaths.
- The fact that many cases were reported among vaccinated horses raised questions about the efficacy of the vaccine, suggesting the need for further investigation into vaccine-induced immunity.
- The high occurrence of infections and deaths in foals also indicated the need for studies on maternal immunity and how it could possibly be improved for a better protective effect.
Cite This Article
APA
Blackburn NK, Swanepoel R.
(1988).
African horse sickness in Zimbabwe: 1972 to 1981.
Trop Anim Health Prod, 20(3), 169-176.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02240087 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Virology, University of the Witwatersrand, Republic of South Africa.
MeSH Terms
- African Horse Sickness / epidemiology
- African Horse Sickness / immunology
- African Horse Sickness Virus / immunology
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / analysis
- Horses
- Reoviridae / immunology
- Retrospective Studies
- Zimbabwe
References
This article includes 5 references
- Mon Bull Minist Health Public Health Lab Serv. 1962 May;21:96-104
- Virology. 1965 Jun;26:175-9
- Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1958 Sep;7(5):561-73
- Trop Anim Health Prod. 1988 Aug;20(3):169-76
- Res Vet Sci. 1977 May;22(3):274-80
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Gordon SJG, Bolwell C, Rogers CW, Musuka G, Kelly P, Guthrie A, Mellor PS, Hamblin C. The sero-prevalence and sero-incidence of African horse sickness and equine encephalosis in selected horse and donkey populations in Zimbabwe. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 2017 May 10;84(1):e1-e5.
- Maclachlan NJ, Guthrie AJ. Re-emergence of bluetongue, African horse sickness, and other orbivirus diseases. Vet Res 2010 Nov-Dec;41(6):35.
- Blackburn NK, Swanepoel R. Observations on antibody levels associated with active and passive immunity to African horse sickness. Trop Anim Health Prod 1988 Nov;20(4):203-10.
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