SAEVA | Electronic Newsletter APRIL 2016

Dear SAEVA members,

The new and improved SAEVA website is now fully functional and I hope that it will provide you many hours of hassle free browsing. In addition to a complete make over, I am particularly excited to introduce to you a new education service in conjunction with the World Veterinary Association and the World Continuing Education Alliance (WCEA).
This global solution to Continuing Education offers SAEVA Members access to the largest resource of Veterinary Continuing Education in the world. SAEVA has chosen to offer this benefit to members who will now have a convenient way to study CPD in additional to traditional methods. The global education network has hundreds of continuing education courses from 80 CE educators, with new education content added every week. SAEVA members can study online from a range of CE short courses according to their needs. A large number of courses are available for free, with others available at a cost.
SAEVA Members are also provided with a free Education Tracker which automatically records all learning activity on the Portal and enables members to record all other CE activities, thereby creating one central record of their CE studies. Summary reports can be created and supplied to the SAVC or other legislators when necessary.The South African Equine Veterinary Association Education Portal is available to all members on the SAEVA website. To join, please navigate to the International CPD portal, and then register to gain access to the global education network. Alternatively, click on the link provided in the email that you will receive to register.Finally, if you have any news or information that you would like to disseminate to other SAEVA members via the SAEVA website, the Facebook page or the monthly newsletter, please email them to me ateditor@saeva.co.za

Best wishes,

Michael Hewetson
SAEVA communications committee 

No new cases of African Horse Sickness; containment zone revised26 April 2016

No new cases of African Horse Sickness have been detected in the Western Cape, resulting in a revision to the movement restrictions.

Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, today (26 April 2016) announced the new borders of the containment zone.

“Movement restrictions are still in force within a smaller containment area surrounding the farm where the case was detected. No movement of horses into, out of, through or within the containment area will be allowed without a movement permit from a state veterinarian, said Minister Winde.

The revised containment zone is as follows:

Minister Winde said the vets launched a surveillance programme immediately after the incident was reported.“An initial census and surveillance programme by state vets in the area surrounding the affected property was performed to determine the extent of the outbreak. All properties on which horses are kept within 5km of the index farm were visited and approximately 200 horses sampled. About 90% of results have been received to date, all of which have been negative for AHS virus. Surveillance activities within the containment area are continuing. Part of this includes investigating the source of the infection, which has not yet been established.

Private veterinarians in the affected area have also been requested to inform the state vets of any suspected AHS cases or cases indicative of infectious disease both within the containment area and within the AHS surveillance zone.

Prevention measures include:

Any owner within the AHS surveillance zone detecting illness in horses involving unexplained fever, swelling of the head and neck and difficulty breathing should report the case to their local State Veterinarian as quickly as possible. Contact details of regional state veterinary offices can be found on www.elsenburg.com.An interactive map of the containment area can be obtained at www.elsenburg.com/vetepi under the Maps tab.

Permit applications should be made to authorised veterinarian Dr Camilla Weyer at: camillaweyer@gmail.com.

AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS OUTBREAK
Paarl, Western Cape,
April 2016
Situation report: 26 April 2016 

INTRODUCTION
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.

CONTROL
Containment area and movement restrictions
As of 26 April 2016, the borders of the containment area have been revised owing to a lack of subsequent cases of AHS.  The index case occurred within the AHS surveillance zone. Movement restrictions are still in force within a smaller containment area surrounding the case. No movement of horses into, out of, through or within the containment area will be allowed without a movement permit from a state veterinarian. The eastern border of the containment area follows the border of the AHS surveillance zone from the Jonkershoek area along the Limietberg mountain range to the Voëlvlei dam. The boundary then extends westwards past the southern end of the voelvlei dam to the R46, which it follows through Hermon, Riebeeck Kasteel and to Malmesbury. The western border of the containment area follows the R302 southwards until it intersects with the R304, which it follows into Stellenbosch and along Bird St until the intersection with Merriman Ave. The southern border follows Merriman Ave, Martinson Rd and Jonkershoek Rd to the east, through the Jonkershoek Valley and up the escarpment until it meets with the border of the AHS surveillance zone. The roads that make up the borders of the containment area are not included in the movement restrictions, and transport of horses along these roads is permitted. An interactive map of the containment area can be obtained at www.elsenburg.com/vetepi under the Maps tab.

Permit applications should be made to authorised veterinarian Dr Camilla Weyer at camillaweyer@gmail.com.

VACCINATION
Currently no vaccination against AHS is permitted within the containment area. Even when no outbreaks of AHS are occurring in the control zones, vaccination against AHS is strictly prohibited in the AHS surveillance and protection zones during the high vector risk period which is between 1 November and 31 May each year. A map of the AHS control zones can also be found at www.elsenburg.com/vetepi.

OWNER ACTIONS
Horse owners are encouraged to stable their horses from two hours before sunset to two hours after dawn (to decrease the risk of the vector of the disease having contact with their horses) and to make use of a registered insect repellent on their horses during the vector feeding periods as indicated above. Further protection of the stabled horses can be attained by covering all stable openings with 80-100% shade cloth. Any owner within the AHS surveillance zone detecting illness in horses involving unexplained fever, swelling of the head and neck and difficulty breathing should report the case to their local State Veterinarian as quickly as possible. Contact details of regional state veterinary offices can be found on www.elsenburg.com.

RESPONSE
An initial census and surveillance programme by state officials in the area surrounding the affected property was performed to determine the extent of the outbreak. All properties on which horses are kept within 5km of the index farm were visited and approximately 200 horses sampled. About 90% of results have been received to date, all of which have been negative for AHS virus. Surveillance activities within the containment area are continuing. Private veterinarians in the affected area have also been requested to inform the State of any suspect AHS cases or cases indicative of infectious disease both within the containment area and within the AHS surveillance zone. All reports are followed up on and, where necessary, samples are taken to exclude AHS.

SOURCE OF INFECTION
The source of infection is being investigated, but is yet to be established.

Dear Colleagues

There have been a number of further confirmed cases within the AHS containment area in the AHS surveillance zone since Friday the 30th April.

3 of these cases are outside of the 5km radius, and they are/ were clinical cases. One of these cases was a weanling, that subsequently was euthanased.

The symptoms of the weanling were not typical for AHS, but lung oedema was observed, so please remain vigilant and please report any suspicious or possible cases to us asap. The sooner we have the report the sooner we can act.

A special thank you must go to Prof Guthrie who gave up his Saturday afternoon to run these samples as a priority.

At present the containment area will not change, but will be re-evaluated next week. A situation report will be released with a press release asap in next week, but we wanted to ensure that you are all kept up to date.

Regards
Camilla
BVSC, MSc
DAFF authorised Veterinarian (Ref: 1/2/1/7/8)
State Vet Boland authorised Veterinarian
(Movement Control and Equine Disease Surveillance)
and Research Officer