African Horse Sickness movement restrictions lifted
Movement controls within the surveillance zone to contain an outbreak of African Horse Sickness in the Boland have been lifted.
Alan Winde, MEC of Economic Opportunities, today announced that the containment zone had been dissolved.
“A case of African horse sickness (AHS) was detected through clinical surveillance by a private veterinarian in Paarl on 2 April 2016. Samples collected from the colt that became ill and died tested positive for AHS virus, subsequently shown to be serotype 1.
A containment zone was established and enforced around this indicator case. It has now been 40 days since the last confirmed case of AHS and the containment zone around Wellington, Paarl and Stellenbosch has been dissolved and movement controls within the AHS Surveillance Zone reverted to normal as from yesterday.”
MEC Winde said including the initial case, 21 horses on eight properties within the established containment zone tested positive for infection with AHS virus. There were four deaths in total.
MEC Winde commended the State Vets for their swift response to the outbreak.
“The vets immediately implemented a series of control measures, including a testing campaign and the movement restrictions. It is through their efforts and the co-operation of the horse owners that we were able to contain this outbreak.”
Vaccination within the surveillance and free zones may now commence but is only allowed from 13 June until 31 October 2016 and also only with permission from a state veterinarian.
Details of the AHS Movement Control Policy and a map of the AHS control zones can be found at www.elsenburg.com/vetepi.
For media queries, kindly contact:
Bronwynne Jooste
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
E-mail: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za
