Topic 59 - African horse sickness, equine encephalosis Flashcards
Definition of African horse sickness:
A vector transmitted disease of equines with acute, febrile signs. Causes endothelial damages, oedemas, haemorrhages, pulmonary and cardiac disease and have a high mortality
Occurence of African horse sickness:
Africa mainly, but found also in spain, portugal, turkey
Causative agent of African horse sickness:
Orbivirus genus, reovirus family
How many serotypes is there of African horse sickness?
at least 9, the virulence differs
Susceptible species of African horse sickness:
Horse
Donkey
Zebra
Is African horse sickness notifiable?
yes
The host of African horse sickness
Horse
Which of the susceptible species are resistant to African horse sickness?
Zebra
They get infected, but we rarely see clinical signs - But they can still carry the infection
How long will the viraemia last in African horse sickness in horses?
4-8 days, but even as long as 18 days
How long will the viraemia last in African horse sickness in zebras?
28 days
How is African horse sickness shed in horses?
Through:
- Semen
- Urine
- Discharges
How can a carnivore be infected with African horse sickness?
By consumption of infected horse meat, blood or organs
Pathogenesis of African horse sickness:
Infection by a vector. We have a primary virus replication, then we have viraemia which will cause lymphatic and blood vessel endothel damage. Due to endothel damage we see oedema and haemoerrhages
Site of primary replication in African horse sickness:
Lymphatic tissue
Mortality rate in horses if infected with African horse sickness
70-96% (up to 100%)
Mortality rate in mules if infected with African horse sickness
50%
Mortality rate in donkeys if infected with African horse sickness
10%
Mortality rate in zebras if infected with African horse sickness
Most of them survive, close to 0%
Incubation time of African horse sickness:
5-7, but can 2-14 days
Clinical signs in peracute form of African horse sickness:
Starts with fever, causing general weakness, sweating and red conjunciva
Then we have dyspnoea, coughing
Very characteristic clinical sign in peracute form of African horse sickness:
Foamy nasal discharge
Peracute phase of African horse sickness, death within how long?
within 24 hours. They suffocate
Another name of peracute form of African horse sickness:
Pulmonary form
Clinical signs of acute form of African horse sickness:
Similar to peracute form, only longer
Acute form of African horse sickness, death within how long?
one week
Clinical sign in subacute form of African horse sickness:
- Fever at the beginning
- Oedema due to vessel damage (around: lips, head, tongue, throat, eyes and later on neck we can also see chest oedema
Which clinical sign can we see in the final stage of subacute form of African horse sickness:
Haemorrhages in the conjunctiva and on the ventral surface of the tongue
Subacute form of African horse sickness, death within how long?
4-8 days after onset of signs, due do cardiac dysfunction
What causes cardiac dysfunction in subacute form of African horse sickness?
The heart tries to push the blood through the oedematic tissue and fails, causing a dysfunction
Another name of the subacute phase of African horse sickness:
Cardiac and oedematic form
Which of the differtent phases/forms of African horse sickness, is most commonly seen?
The sunacute form
What do we call the clinical sign of African horse sickness, where we see oedema around the eyes, lips, head, tongue and throat?
Hippo head
If survival from subacute form of African horse sickness, how long until the oedeama dissapears?
3-8 days
Clinical signs of chronic form of African horse sickness:
- Recurrent fever, higher in the afternoons - VERY CHARACTERISTIC
- Rarely other signs
Another name of the chronic form of African horse sickness:
Febrile form
In which species mainly can we see the chronic form of African horse sickness?
Donkeys, zebras and immune horses
There is a mixed form of African horse sickness, what are the clinical signs?
- Fever
- Mild respiratory signs
- Oedemas
- Lower mortality - but some animals do die
Another name of the mixed form of African horse sickness:
Respiratory and cardiac form
It has a slower development, but a longer virulence strain
Pathological lesions in case of African horse sickness:
- Pulmonary oedema
- haermorrhages in the mucosa
- Oedema under the skin
- Fibrinous exudate in the thoracic cavity
- Epi- and endocardial haemorrhages
- VESSEL DAMAGE!!
How can we diagnose African horse sickness?
- Clinical signs
- Pathology
- Epizootiology
These 3 will raise the suspicion, but because it is notifiable we do lab samples as well
Which laboratory methods do we do in case of African horse sickness?
RT-PCR or AG-ELISA to detect virus, and ELISA for serology
Differential diagnosis of African horse sickness:
Everything with endothel damage
- Equine viral arteritis
- Babesiosis
- Anthrax
- Equine infectious anaemia
Prevention in African horse sickness endemic countries:
Immunisation, horses should be vaccinated
Type of vaccine used in African horse sickness endemic countries and for how long does it last?
Attenuated, polyvalent vaccine
Lasts for a few years
What is a polyvalent vaccine?
Several serotypes are induced by the vaccine
Prevention in African horse sickness free countries to avoid the disease:
- Restriction on importation from endemic countries
- Quarantine for min 30(!) days
- Insecticide treatment against ectoparasite, as a vector control
Prevention in African horse sickness free countries if there is an outbreak:
- Slaughtering of affected animals
- insect control
- Long term surveillance and monitoring
- Vaccinations in the safety zone
Which type of vaccine is used in the safety zone in case of an outbreak of African horse sickness in free countries:
Inactivated, type-sepcific vaccine x2
Causative agent of equine encephalosis
Orbivirus genus, reovirus family
Occurence of equine encephalosis:
South-Africa, rarely seen in other countries
Susceptible species of equine encephalosis
Equines
Pathogenesis of equine encephalosis
Similar to African horse sickness.
We see blood vessel damage and the clinical signs are consequences of the damages.
Incubation time for equine encephalosis:
3-10 days
Clinical signs of equine encephalosis in donkey and mule:
Frequently asymptomatic
Clinical signs of horses if infected with equine encephalosis:
Also asymptomatic, but if clinical signs are seen:
1. Fever for 1-5 days and loss of appetite
2. Consequences of the blood vessel damages:
- Oedema of the lips and eyelids
- Elevated pulse
- CNS sign
- Abortion, due to blood vessel damage of the placenta
- Enteritis
Mortality rate of equine encephalosis:
close to 0%
Recovery time of equine encephalosis:
1-3 weeks
Laboratory methods to diagnose equine encephalosis:
Virus isolation
PCR
Serology: ELISA can be used to screen and see if the animal have been affected or not
Prevention of equine encephalosis:
Only epidemiological measures
Is there a vaccine for equine encephalosis?
no