Re: Horse sickness

[Celeste Murray <celestem@badgermining.co.za>]

> Are you sure about this?  I don't think horses LIVING in the area are
> allowed to be vacc'd, but horses travelling down from other parts of the
> country have to be, and you need a vet's certificate re this.  At least,
> this was my understanding.

What you said above is what I mean't, just did not make myself clear enough.

 > And I have a bridge to sell you!  Even the "free zone" has had outbreaks
> recently.

Well as far as I am concerned the freezone is a man made AHS free area and
has only had outbreaks since man started interfering with the quaratine
area. I have friends that have stayed in the freezone for +-50 years and
have never vaccinated with no losses but since the quarantine station came
into being with all the travelling laws etc, they have lost many horse in
the area . I do know of two farmers in other areas who have never vaccinated
their breeding stock and they have lost no horses when, farms around them
have lost horses.

> Wouldn't bet on it - what about mutations of the disease.  I'd vacc
annually
> regardless of age.

Every second year vaccination schedule came from OP itself! Seems the one
hand doesn't know what the other is doing?

Agreed, but the two shots before one year is crucial to any chance of
survival if exposed.

> According to Ross, they're still vulnerable until they're about 5.
> I've been trying to get more info re number of horses affected annually,
> number of deaths, etc (you know, the good stuff) but I keep getting cut
off
> by OP's virology dept.  My vet gave a thumb-suck figure last year of about
> fifty horses dead.  Quite scary.  I remember one of our top SJs getting
it,
> when there was a break-out at Rand Show.  I think it was one of Ronnie
> Lawrence's horses - Celeste?  Nothing like losing a really expensive horse
> to a disease you've vacc'd against, only to find the little f.....r's
> mutated into something which the vacc no longer works on.  Welcome to
> Africa, have a disease!

I also remember two years ago when many horses died from the vaccine itself,
they introduced a mutant strain at to strong a dose or something.

> Tracey

Celeste