Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
African horse sickness: The potential for an outbreak in disease-free regions and current disease control and elimination techniques.
Abstract: African horse sickness (AHS) is an arboviral disease of equids transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. The virus is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and official AHS disease-free status can be obtained from the World Organization for Animal Health on fulfilment of a number of criteria. AHS is associated with case fatality rates of up to 95%, making an outbreak among naïve horses both a welfare and economic disaster. The worldwide distributions of similar vector-borne diseases (particularly bluetongue disease of ruminants) are changing rapidly, probably due to a combination of globalisation and climate change. There is extensive evidence that the requisite conditions for an AHS epizootic currently exist in disease-free countries. In particular, although the stringent regulations enforced upon competition horses make them extremely unlikely to redistribute the virus, there are great concerns over the effects of illegal equid movement. An outbreak of AHS in a disease free region would have catastrophic effects on equine welfare and industry, particularly for international events such as the Olympic Games. While many regions have contingency plans in place to manage an outbreak of AHS, further research is urgently required if the equine industry is to avoid or effectively contain an AHS epizootic in disease-free regions. This review describes the key aspects of AHS as a global issue and discusses the evidence supporting concerns that an epizootic may occur in AHS free countries, the planned government responses, and the roles and responsibilities of equine veterinarians.
© 2016 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2016-07-21 PubMed ID: 27292229DOI: 10.1111/evj.12600Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Review
- African Horse Sickness
- Arboviruses
- Culicoides
- Diagnosis
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Management
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevention
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Infectious Disease
- Public Health
- Vector-borne disease
- Veterinary Medicine
- Virus
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research paper discusses the potential for an outbreak of African Horse Sickness (AHS) in previously non-affected (disease-free) regions and the existing measures for controlling and eradicating this disease. With factors such as globalization and climate change potentially altering the spread of similar vector-borne diseases, there is a pressing need to understand and manage the risks of an AHS epidemic that could have catastrophic welfare and economic implications.
African Horse Sickness and its Threat
- African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal viral disease affecting horses, transmitted through bites from Culicoides midges. This disease is essentially confined to regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
- However, there are eminent concerns about its potential spread to regions free of AHS, triggered partly by the shifting distributions of comparable vector-borne diseases, such as the bluetongue disease in ruminants.
- The stakes are high with AHS due to its extremly high case fatality rates (up to 95%). An outbreak could be detrimental to equine welfare and the associated economy, especially in international contexts like the Olympic Games.
Spread Factors and Global Concerns
- Globalisation and climate change are suspected to influence disease spread, creating conditions suitable for an AHS outbreak in disease-free nations.
- An alarming aspect is the illegal movement of horses, which despite stringent regulations could facilitate viral distribution.
- Obtaining an official AHS disease-free status from the World Organization for Animal Health requires meeting several criteria, highlighting a global response to this health threat.
Controlling AHS and Future Research
- Many regions have contingency plans to manage potential AHS outbreaks. But, the extent of potential damage necessitates further research into effective strategies for containment and possible eradication of this viral disease.
- Equine veterinarians will play a crucial role in devising and implementing control measures, given their proximity to the subject animals and technical expertise on their health.
Understanding AHS as a Global Issue
- The potential for a widespread AHS outbreak calls for global attention and coordinated efforts. Venturing beyond the confines of the regions it is currently seen in, AHS emerges as a global issue.
- The paper urges the incorporation of wider factors such as climate change and globalization in disease management plans, thus posing it as a complex, interconnected problem.
Cite This Article
APA
Robin M, Page P, Archer D, Baylis M.
(2016).
African horse sickness: The potential for an outbreak in disease-free regions and current disease control and elimination techniques.
Equine Vet J, 48(5), 659-669.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12600 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, UK.
MeSH Terms
- African Horse Sickness / epidemiology
- African Horse Sickness / transmission
- Animals
- Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Horses
Citations
This article has been cited 18 times.- Punyadarsaniya D, Taesuji M, Rattanamas K, Ruenphet S. Establishment of an In-House Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay to Detect Antibodies Against African Horse Sickness Based on Monovalent and Polyvalent Live Attenuated Vaccines During the First Outbreak in Thailand. Animals (Basel) 2025 May 15;15(10).
- Huang C, Wang J, Ruan Z, Wu J, Lin Y, Cao C, Yang J, Weng Q, Jin Y, Chen P, Hua Q. Real-Time Reverse Transcription Multienzyme Isothermal Rapid Amplification for Rapid Detection of African Horse Sickness Virus. Transbound Emerg Dis 2025;2025:1852368.
- Porwal S, Malviya R, Sridhar SB, Shareef J, Wadhwa T. Mysterious Oropouche virus: Transmission, symptoms, and control. Infect Med (Beijing) 2025 Jun;4(2):100177.
- Ma X, Zhang Y, Na L, Qi T, Ma W, Guo X, Wang XF, Wang X. Identification and Characterization of Linear Epitopes of Monoclonal Antibodies Against African Horse Sickness Virus Serotype 1 VP2 Protein. Viruses 2024 Nov 15;16(11).
- Kunanusont N, Taesuji M, Kulthonggate U, Rattanamas K, Mamom T, Thongsri K, Phannithi T, Ruenphet S. Longitudinal humoral immune response and maternal immunity in horses after a single live-attenuated vaccination against African horse sickness during the disease outbreak in Thailand. Vet World 2023 Aug;16(8):1690-1694.
- Taesuji M, Rattanamas K, Kulthonggate U, Mamom T, Ruenphet S. Sensitivity and specificity for African horse sickness antibodies detection using monovalent and polyvalent vaccine antigen-based dot blotting. Vet World 2022 Dec;15(12):2760-2763.
- Rattanamas K, Taesuji M, Kulthonggate U, Jantafong T, Mamom T, Ruenphet S. Sensitivity of RNA viral nucleic acid-based detection of avian influenza virus, Newcastle disease virus, and African horse sickness virus on flinders technology associates card using conventional reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Vet World 2022 Nov;15(11):2754-2759.
- Gao S, Zeng Z, Wang H, Chen F, Huang L, Wang X. Predicting the possibility of African horse sickness (AHS) introduction into China using spatial risk analysis and habitat connectivity of Culicoides. Sci Rep 2022 Mar 10;12(1):3910.
- Le T, Sun C, Chang J, Zhang G, Yin X. mRNA Vaccine Development for Emerging Animal and Zoonotic Diseases. Viruses 2022 Feb 15;14(2).
- Fairbanks EL, Brennan ML, Mertens PPC, Tildesley MJ, Daly JM. Re-parameterization of a mathematical model of African horse sickness virus using data from a systematic literature search. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022 Jul;69(4):e671-e681.
- Knox A, Beddoe T. Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Technologies for the Detection of Equine Viral Pathogens. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 20;11(7).
- Clemmons EA, Alfson KJ, Dutton JW 3rd. Transboundary Animal Diseases, an Overview of 17 Diseases with Potential for Global Spread and Serious Consequences. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 8;11(7).
- Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Depner K, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar Schmidt C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ, Pasquali P, Roberts HC, Sihvonen LH, Spoolder H, Ståhl K, Velarde A, Viltrop A, Winckler C, De Clercq K, Klement E, Stegeman JA, Gubbins S, Antoniou SE, Broglia A, Van der Stede Y, Zancanaro G, Aznar I. Scientific Opinion on the assessment of the control measures of the category A diseases of Animal Health Law: African Horse Sickness. EFSA J 2021 Feb;19(2):e06403.
- Raksakoon C, Potiwat R. Current Arboviral Threats and Their Potential Vectors in Thailand. Pathogens 2021 Jan 18;10(1).
- Barba M, Fairbanks EL, Daly JM. Equine viral encephalitis: prevalence, impact, and management strategies. Vet Med (Auckl) 2019;10:99-110.
- Karamalla ST, Gubran AI, Adam IA, Abdalla TM, Sinada RO, Haroun EM, Aradaib IE. Sero-epidemioloical survey on African horse sickness virus among horses in Khartoum State, Central Sudan. BMC Vet Res 2018 Aug 1;14(1):230.
- Chapman GE, Baylis M, Archer DC. Survey of UK horse owners' knowledge of equine arboviruses and disease vectors. Vet Rec 2018 Aug 4;183(5):159.
- Sakkas H, Bozidis P, Franks A, Papadopoulou C. Oropouche Fever: A Review. Viruses 2018 Apr 4;10(4).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
