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Post by racaille on Feb 8, 2012 8:32:31 GMT
I've just been notified that one of the horses that took part in this year's Chevauchée de Blasons has been diagnosed with EIA. This is a terrible blow - not least for the poor owner whose horse has now been destroyed. All the horses who took part (thank God we didn't this year) will now be tested .....
I expect there will be some culling as the flies were a terrible problem during the autumn and it is to be expected there will be other cases.
Large assemblies of horses are also now likely to be banned so the competition season is now very much up in the air. Even my rando group are expecting to be disrupted. Further complications will arise if there is a serious outbreak down here - the FFE may ban the region's equines from the Championnats ....
I fear bad times ahead ...
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Post by zara on Feb 8, 2012 12:58:04 GMT
Thats terrible news Rac; such a releif that you didn't go to the Cheauchee de Blasons. Hope you're fears aren't realised but so worried they may be xx
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Post by fimacg on Feb 8, 2012 15:13:47 GMT
oh good grief... that's awful! I'm bet you are glad you didn't get to the Chevauchee de Blasons now... what will it mean for the teenager and her plans if your region is banned from the big competitions? can you still compete within your region?
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Post by racaille on Feb 8, 2012 15:51:25 GMT
I really don't know Fi, I've never experienced this before. The area around the horse in question will now be quarantined - I don't know if it was a club horse or an individual's horse - and the départemental veterinary service will be trying to locate the source of infection I guess.
Many of my rando group took part in the Chevauchée so those horses are now confined to quarters. I think it will help to know where the infected horse came from.
All rather worrying ...
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Post by racaille on Feb 8, 2012 16:05:22 GMT
It seems the original horse was an arab but there now seem to be between four and eight involved. I still can't find out where though ....
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Post by zara on Feb 8, 2012 20:58:11 GMT
So worrying rac; where abouts is the outbreak? I have friends about to import horses from Spain and they have to travel through France x
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Post by racaille on Feb 9, 2012 6:22:59 GMT
It's in the Vaucluse. You wouldn't normally come through here on the way from Spain though Zara, we are too far east. Here's the english/french version of the Government epidemic alert site www.respe.net/en/node/1182 |
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Post by zara on Feb 9, 2012 8:09:42 GMT
Thanks for the Rac. heartbreaking for the owner of the poor horse who has died xx
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Post by brigadier on Feb 9, 2012 11:48:10 GMT
That is devastating news, all you can do is sit tight and wait. Have your horses been in contact with any of the rando group's horses?
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Post by dannyboy on Feb 9, 2012 12:39:48 GMT
Rac, what a worrying time for you. So sad for the owner of the poor horse.
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Post by racaille on Feb 9, 2012 14:24:14 GMT
Brig, I'm hoping we'll be OK. We HAVE been in contact with Chevauchée horses but more recently and I'm hoping that since the cold weather has ended fly activity we should be OK.
One bit of good news (for us anyway) is that the outbreak is in a private yard a long way from here. However, if the horse was already infected during the Chevauchée when 200 horses from every single village in the département spent two nights together in temporary boxes during a peak fly activity period, then the EIA could now be dispersed anywhere or everywhere. That's the worst case scenario and all the horses who took part are now being tested.
There are/were eight horses on the original yard, four of whom I believe have so far tested positive and the départmental veterinary service is now desperately trying to trace the source of the outbreak.
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Post by racaille on Feb 9, 2012 14:32:06 GMT
The four infected horses were PTS this morning but unfortunately TWO of them did the Chevauchée.
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Post by brigadier on Feb 9, 2012 18:02:29 GMT
What a nightmare for everyone involved. It reminds me of the unease when the foot and mouth outbreak started over here, its a constant gut churning feeling as the impact and spread of it is uncertain.
Praying it is a minor flare up and its spread is halted.
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Post by zara on Feb 9, 2012 20:33:58 GMT
Rac that is so sad; so hope ther are no further cases; thinking of you xxx
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Post by haffyfan on Feb 9, 2012 20:57:49 GMT
oh no what a terrible blow. Hoping all works out okay for you. x
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Post by racaille on Feb 12, 2012 7:12:02 GMT
The testing programme is well under way now. One of the teenager's friends, in the next village to us, has had to have her horse tested and is, of course, beside herself with worry. So is another of the gang who keeps his competition pony on the same private yard.
There's been some outrage on local forums about culling the infected horses but I think they are being hysterical. A fly-borne virus down here could wipe out the entire horse population very quickly. Obviously I'd be devastated if my boys were affected but you have to think of the bigger picture and anyway, there's no cure for EIA.
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Post by brigadier on Feb 12, 2012 12:13:01 GMT
No cure and a bag full of problems if they do survive, they also remain carriers I believe. I think testing and destruction is the only option, at least they test first and its not a blanket destruction policy- imagine how awful that would be.
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Post by racaille on Feb 15, 2012 10:35:09 GMT
Yes, they are carriers for life. The tests will be made public next week but the regional vets are so hopeful all will be well that they have decided that all horsey events can carry on as normal. Thank goodness for that - we may have escaped very lightly. Fingers crossed  |
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Post by duckles on Feb 15, 2012 12:15:22 GMT
How awful - what a nightmare for all involved. We were the same a few years back with a similar infection (I can only think of swamp fever but I am sure that is not the name) - I worried all the time as the outbreak was near enough but thank God, it all died out eventually. At one time there was a serious risk to international events and showjumping and horse sales - all of which would have made a huge dent in our struggling economy - mind you I selfishly worried mainly about my two boys.
Please God, it will all be over soon.
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Post by racaille on Feb 16, 2012 6:24:43 GMT
EIA is also called swamp fever (from the southern states of America where it is endemic) Duckles so could have been the same thing.
Our rando for Sunday has had to be postponed as so many of the group's horses are awaiting their test results.
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Post by zara on Feb 16, 2012 7:42:59 GMT
Relieved to hear that things may not be as bad as first thought; fingers crossed that no other horses test positive xxx
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Post by racaille on Feb 28, 2012 7:41:32 GMT
Well it seems like good news - all the results so far have been negative ;D Let's hope it was just a storm in a tea cup (although it is still a puzzle how the original horses came to be infected  ) |
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Post by brigadier on Feb 28, 2012 8:25:11 GMT
Thank goodness that's it! Unfortunately I dont think there is a happy ending long term though as it seems there are more and more horrible diseases and virus becoming more prevalent due to the warmer climates. We have a nasty lambing virus at the moment from Europe which causes malformation in lambs, not only are the lambs dying or deformed but the ewes sometimes as they cant get the twisted ones out. Cant remeber the name of it but this one is midge carried. Think we will have some horsey outbreaks in England soon.
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Post by racaille on Feb 28, 2012 8:38:38 GMT
Grief, that sounds horrendous!
It's the midges and flies that are the trouble, isn't it? I think it is going to be a terrible year for flies here - they are already about, even after the cold snap that should have killed them. The authorities spray the irrigation ditches with insecticide but I have running water in my paddocks, from a spring, can't do anything about it.
My chickens are the best protection for the horses but of course they have to run the gauntlet of the fox and buzzard. In the meantime I am Flymax-ing the boys.
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Post by dannyboy on Feb 28, 2012 12:56:02 GMT
Thats great news Rac.
We too have so many flies / midges at the moment. I don't think I've ever seen them in droves so early.
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