Thailand scrambles to contain major outbreak of horse-killing virus

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre

 

A horse in Thailand is isolated behind netting that keeps out midges that spread African horse sickness. 

WIPAWAN PAWITAYALARP

 

Thailand, already battling the spread of coronavirus, is now contending with another deadly viral outbreak—in horses. With hundreds of horse deaths reported there in the last 3 weeks, horse owners are rushing to seal their animals indoors with netting, away from biting midges that spread the virus for African horse sickness (AHS). Some scientists suspect that zebras, imported from Africa, led to the outbreak.

 

The disease’s sudden appearance, far from its endemic home in sub-Saharan Africa, has surprised Thai veterinary authorities, who are ramping up testing for the disease and ordering the vaccination of thousands of horses, donkeys, and mules. It is the first major outbreak of the disease outside Africa in 30 years, and AHS experts are worried that it could spread to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

 

“A sustained, persistent outbreak of [AHS] that spreads to other countries would be devastating, not only to the racing industry and companion animals, but also to some of the poorest workers in the region relying on working horses, donkeys, and mules,” says Simon Carpenter, an entomologist at the Pirbright Laboratory in the United Kingdom.

 

Full story: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/thailand-scrambles-contain-major-outbreak-horse-killing-virus

 

-- ScienceMag 2020 04-17

Has Anutin lost even more of his prized horses? 

I read somewhere that he had lost seven, but that was a few weeks ago.

 

Let's hope they contain this virus and quickly.

9 minutes ago, petedk said:

Has Anutin lost even more of his prized horses? 

I read somewhere that he had lost seven, but that was a few weeks ago.

 

Let's hope they contain this virus and quickly.

Can't work up much sympathy for him.

 

Can smell the fear of some of the horses-axxes who post horse manure comments on TVF regularly...

 

You know who you are!  ????

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Can't work up much sympathy for him.

 

I have no sympathy for him, but lots of sympathy for the poor horses.

If only it would spread to bulls then there would be a shortage of faeces to confuse the masses.

Isn’t it funny? They can’t keep a horse virus from spreading even though horses aren’t really that much in contact with horses from other stables and way less numerous than humans in Thailand, yet the Corona virus numbers are still so low! 

7 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

Isn’t it funny? They can’t keep a horse virus from spreading even though horses aren’t really that much in contact with horses from other stables

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

owners are rushing to seal their animals indoors with netting, away from biting midges that spread the virus for African horse sickness (AHS).

Nothing to do with horse to horse contact.

It all happened because the Royal Customs Department and the Department of Livestock Development , failed to quarantine the African zebras that were imported or transited Thailand from Africa since typical Thai incompetence failed to list the African zebra as being a carrier for AHS

 

Quote

Most owners believe the virus was imported along with an infected herd of zebras, said Jarutummasiri. However, so far, the government has not confirmed those suspicions. “We asked (the Department of Livestock Development) about imported zebra but that’s still under investigation,” he said. That investigation requires cooperation with the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, he added.

Other owners wonder if the virus came from zebras that were in transit to China. “It seems there’s wildlife trade to China passing through Thailand with a resting place in Pak Chong,” said Sara Uggelberg, an expatriate Swede who owns a Swedish Warmblood named Rally.

source: https://thehorse.com/187018/african-horse-sickness-cases-in-thailand-quadruple/

Those damned foreign zebras.

 

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by Thailand

Ban them from drinking alcohol... Problem solved

Bet they will be starting a Chinese style African population safari soon

7 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Can smell the fear of some of the horses-axxes who post horse manure comments on TVF regularly...

 

You know who you are!  ????

Really? Kindly enlighten those of us on TV who may, or may not - need to know who those are, that supposedly know who they are and what the fear is. More importantly, do I know who it is that posts horse manure comments and should I be worried? Is the smell of fear more fearsome than the smell of horse manure or Covid19? This is very important, presumably for yourself who appears to be keeping this highly important knowledge to yourself! So: - 

1. Flag 8! - If you don't know what that means - ask those who do know. I know but can't tell!

2. Through the avenue of the medium of!

3. Horseshee-it!

What are you on about?

My advice, make all the horses wear masks, stop them socialising, make them stay at home, and ban alcohol from all stables.

 

On a more serious note,

I'm betting there's a very small number of 'exclusive' vets that treat all these animals, and they've been spreading the disease. Hard to see any other way it happened.

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by BritManToo

4 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

It all happened because the Royal Customs Department and the Department of Livestock Development , failed to quarantine the African zebras that were imported or transited Thailand from Africa since typical Thai incompetence failed to list the African zebra as being a carrier for AHS

 

source: https://thehorse.com/187018/african-horse-sickness-cases-in-thailand-quadruple/

I read this too.. strange that the dont mention it. I even read that some horse owner want to sue the government. 

I think horses are taken care of better than humans around here.

Oh <deleted> here we go again, so Thailand will shut down a double shut down you might say!

8 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

If only it would spread to bulls then there would be a shortage of faeces to confuse the masses.

The sick buffalo stories might finally be true... 

11 hours ago, webfact said:

(AHS). Some scientists suspect that zebras, imported from Africa, led to the outbreak

So the dodgy foreign stripy horses were rounded up and guarded by giant cocks .. but the two at the back still managed a bit of snogging .. Which'll probably get 'em in even more trouble .. 

 

Edited April 17, 20206 yr by Justgrazing
Sp

23 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

So the dodgy foreign stripy horses were rounded up and guarded by giant cocks .. but the two at the back still managed a bit of snogging .. Which'll probably get 'em in even more trouble .. 

 

The zebra, aka a horse wearing pyjamas.

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

 

Nothing to do with horse to horse contact.

Thanks for clearing that up. My point still stands, though.

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Nothing to do with horse to horse contact.

That's a relief. I wonder what the social distancing for horses might be - twenty five hands?

 

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

That's a relief. I wonder what the social distancing for horses might be - twenty five hands?

 

100 inches to the shoulder.. jeez, that's a monster