[Current information on the subject of African horse sickness (AHS)].

The research article is a review that presents an updated account of the knowledge about African Horse Sickness, a viral disease affecting horses, based on published literature and information from the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Disease causative agent and transmission

• The cause of African horse sickness (AHS) is an arbovirus. Arboviruses are a group of viruses that are transmitted by arthropod vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, or in the case of AHS, specifically by a species of biting midges known as Culicoides imicola.

Isolation of AHS Virus

• To study the disease in depth, the virus causing AHS must be isolated from infected horses. However, the paper does not provide any details regarding the techniques or methods used to isolate the virus.

Diagnosis

• The review mentions serotyping procedures for diagnosing AHS. Serotyping is a method by which viruses, or other microorganisms, are classified based on the reactions of their antigens – substances that elicit an immune response – with antibodies. This suggests that the AHS diagnosis involves identifying the specific antibodies produced in response to an AHS virus infection.

Preventive measures

• Prevention strategies for AHS described in the review include safeguarding horses from insect infestation and initiating vaccination programs.
• Protection against insect infestation involves controlling the populations of the Culicoides imicola vector that transmits the disease, possibly through the use of repellents or insecticides.
• Vaccination programs would offer immunological protection to horses, traditionally through exposure to a weakened or dead form of the virus, prompting an immune response without causing the disease.

Note on recent outbreaks

• The review highlights recent AHS outbreaks in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, indicating that despite advances in the understanding of the disease, there is a lot more to learn to control and eradicate it effectively.