China’s agriculture ministry plans to start taking samples from horses along its southern borders to check for African Horse Sickness (AHS) after the deadly disease was recently detected in Thailand.
The outbreak in Thailand is the first time AHS has been detected in Southeast Asia; so far, more than 200 horses have died. Earlier in the week, Thailand banned the import and export of equines, and began vaccinating 4,000 horses.
The disease, thought to have made its way to Thailand via Zebras imported from Africa, affects horses, donkeys and other equines. It is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs believes there is a relatively high chance the disease will spread, as the midges (small biting insects) that carry AHS are already found in China. To date, AHS has been detected less than 800 km away from China’s southern border.
China plans to collect random samples from equines at border crossings and in areas where midges are active.
Find out more about the AHS outbreak via Science magazine.
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