South Africa: African Horse Sickness Confirmed in Western Cape's Cederberg

What the report says

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture has confirmed an African horse sickness case in a single horse on a property in the Cederberg Local Municipality in the Western Cape, according to SAnews.gov.za via AllAfrica. The case was identified through the country’s veterinary surveillance system, and laboratory testing at the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Genetics Laboratory confirmed AHS virus serotype 7. Officials said the property is inside South Africa’s established AHS Protection Zone.

In response, authorities have set up an outbreak containment area and imposed movement controls under the Animal Diseases Act and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s contingency plan. Horse movements from the affected area will not be permitted while investigations continue, and Veterinary Services has begun tracing, census work and intensified surveillance to determine whether the disease has spread to other animals.

Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp said the rapid detection allowed officials to act quickly. The department has asked horse owners in the controlled area to cooperate, watch for signs such as fever, swelling, breathing problems or sudden death, and report suspected cases. It also advised precautions against Culicoides midges, which spread the virus, including stabling horses around sunrise and sunset and avoiding wet or low-lying areas.

The report says the department is discouraging vaccination during this period because the registered vaccine is live-attenuated and could be spread by midges. It also said international trade partners will be notified, with further guidance on trade implications to follow.