African Horse Sickness – Part 1: Time Is Of The Essence

Midges and biting flies can spread this deadly disease during summer. Learn to recognise the symptoms early on so that your vet can treat the horse in time.

- Dr Mac

African horse sickness (AHS) season is nearly upon us. In 2016, the first cases appeared in November and horses were still dying early in June 2017. Unseasonably warm weather can cause midges to hatch earlier and carry on breeding for longer. Biting flies can also carry the virus.

AHS is a viral disease of horses, donkeys, mules and zebras. It is caused by a virus of the genus, Orbivirus. Previously, three types of AHS were described in literature:

Dunkop, where horses died suddenly, foaming from their nostrils;

Dikkop, where horses lived longer and developed a very swollen head;

Horse sickness fever, where a horse showed a temperature for a day or two and recovered.