Trop. Anita. Hlth Prod. (1992) 7.4, 207-208
Short Communication AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS AND EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA SEROLOGY IN THE GAMBIA R. C. M A T T I O L I I , J. ZINSSTAG 1"3 AND K. PlaSTER2
International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC), PMB 14, Banjul, The Gambia
Today equines, and particularly donkeys, are the dominant draught animals in The Gambia (National Agricultural Sample Survey, 1991). Notwithstanding this, few data are available on disease, nutritional status or management practices which are all factors affecting their performance. No serological studies on ~African horse sickness (AHS) and equine infectious anaemia (EIA) have been carried out for The Gambia and few reports exist in the subregion regarding these 2 diseases (Le Jan et al., 1976; Sarr et al., 1988; Sarr, 1989; Sarr, et al., 1990). Sera from 112 donkeys and 15 horses were collected during the 1990 rainy season in 3 villages (Sololo, Kurup and Kudang) of the McCarthy Island Division in The Gambia and stored at - 20~ The equine population surveyed represents more than 90~ of the total equine population in the 3 villages. Serum neutralisation on cell culture for AHS antibodies was done commercially at the Instil:ut Srnrgalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Laboratoire de Hann, Dakar. For the EIA serology, a commercial agar gel diffusion kit (EIA Test Kit D-Tee EIA TM,Smith and Kline Laboratory) was used at the Institute for Animal Virology of the University of Berne. In 107 out of 112 donkeys antibodies against AHS serotype 9 were detected, which represents a prevalence of 95-5%; 52-7% of the donkeys had a titre equal to or above 1/320. Antibodies against AHS serotype 9 were found in all 15 horses. 73-3 % of their antibody titres were above 1/320. No antibodies against EIA were detected in any of 110 donkey and 11 horse sera. The high prevalence of antibodies against AHS and the considerable ratio of high titres suggest a recent, probably continuous, contact with AHS virus at least during the rainy season. With the exception of one suspected but not confirmed case, no clinically sick animals were recorded. It is not known which type of clinical disease occurs, if any. The serological prevalence of AHS in horses and donkeys is comparable to the data of Sarr et al. (1988) for Senegal. Only serotype 9 was detected, which is also in accordance with the findings of Sarr et al. (1988). An epidemiological study carried out by Le Jan et al. (1976) on EIA antibody prevalence in horses in Senegal revealed a prevalence of less than one per cent. Nignam (1988) reported a seroprevalence of 3% in equines in Burkina Faso. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the staff of the Department of Animal Virology, University of Berne (Switzerland), who performed the EIA serology; also Dr C. Hoste for his helpful comments on the manuscript. Present address: tlaternational Trypanotolerance Centre, PMB I4, Banjul, The Gambia; 2Department of Parasitology, Institute of Animal Parasitology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. 3Address for correspondance and reprints.
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This study was supported by The European Development Fund and The Swiss Development Cooperation. Accepted for publication May 1992 REFERENCES LE JAN, C., TOMA,B. & BOURDIN,B. (1976). Revue Elevage Mddecine V~tdrinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 29, 195-198. National Agricultural Sample Survey (199 I). Statistical Yearbook of Gambia Agriculture: 1990. National Agricultural Data Centre, Banjul, The Gambia. p 38. NIGNAI~,M. (1988). Fiches Techniques de Pathologie des Animaux Domestiques au Burkina Faso. (Ed. D. Rouill6). Minist6re de l'Agrieulturc et de l'Elevage, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. pp 120-122. SARR, J. (1989). Situation de la peste equine au S6n6gal. Rapport de mission 5-6 Novembre 1989 sur la r6gion de Thib,s. Ref. No. 071/Viro ISRA Dakar-Hann. p 3. SAx~at,J., DIoP, M. & ClSSOKHO,S. (1988). Revue Elevage Mddecine Vdtdrinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 41, 243-246. SARa, J., NDO,~, E. D. P. & DIop, M. (1990). Note sur un foyer de peste equine ~. Kaffrine au Srnrgal. Ref. No. 53/Path. Inf. Aofit 1990, ISRA Dakar-Hann. p 7.
RECENT ADVANCES AND CURRENT CONCEPTS IN TROPICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE Eighth CTVM Course to be held from 4-16 April t993 An intensive short course in tropical veterinary medicine designed specifically for veterinarians. The objectives will be to review recent advances in animal health in the tropics and to consider their implications alongside current concepts in the organisation of animal health and production programmes. The emphasis of the course will be the review of recent knowledge and new technology and their application to the control of animal diseases in the tropics. For further information about this and the associated Recent Advances Plus range please contact Hamish Macandrew, UnivEd Technologies Ltd, 16 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9LN, Scotland.
Short Communication AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS AND EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA SEROLOGY IN THE GAMBIA R. C. M A T T I O L I I , J. ZINSSTAG 1"3 AND K. PlaSTER2
International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC), PMB 14, Banjul, The Gambia
Today equines, and particularly donkeys, are the dominant draught animals in The Gambia (National Agricultural Sample Survey, 1991). Notwithstanding this, few data are available on disease, nutritional status or management practices which are all factors affecting their performance. No serological studies on ~African horse sickness (AHS) and equine infectious anaemia (EIA) have been carried out for The Gambia and few reports exist in the subregion regarding these 2 diseases (Le Jan et al., 1976; Sarr et al., 1988; Sarr, 1989; Sarr, et al., 1990). Sera from 112 donkeys and 15 horses were collected during the 1990 rainy season in 3 villages (Sololo, Kurup and Kudang) of the McCarthy Island Division in The Gambia and stored at - 20~ The equine population surveyed represents more than 90~ of the total equine population in the 3 villages. Serum neutralisation on cell culture for AHS antibodies was done commercially at the Instil:ut Srnrgalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Laboratoire de Hann, Dakar. For the EIA serology, a commercial agar gel diffusion kit (EIA Test Kit D-Tee EIA TM,Smith and Kline Laboratory) was used at the Institute for Animal Virology of the University of Berne. In 107 out of 112 donkeys antibodies against AHS serotype 9 were detected, which represents a prevalence of 95-5%; 52-7% of the donkeys had a titre equal to or above 1/320. Antibodies against AHS serotype 9 were found in all 15 horses. 73-3 % of their antibody titres were above 1/320. No antibodies against EIA were detected in any of 110 donkey and 11 horse sera. The high prevalence of antibodies against AHS and the considerable ratio of high titres suggest a recent, probably continuous, contact with AHS virus at least during the rainy season. With the exception of one suspected but not confirmed case, no clinically sick animals were recorded. It is not known which type of clinical disease occurs, if any. The serological prevalence of AHS in horses and donkeys is comparable to the data of Sarr et al. (1988) for Senegal. Only serotype 9 was detected, which is also in accordance with the findings of Sarr et al. (1988). An epidemiological study carried out by Le Jan et al. (1976) on EIA antibody prevalence in horses in Senegal revealed a prevalence of less than one per cent. Nignam (1988) reported a seroprevalence of 3% in equines in Burkina Faso. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the staff of the Department of Animal Virology, University of Berne (Switzerland), who performed the EIA serology; also Dr C. Hoste for his helpful comments on the manuscript. Present address: tlaternational Trypanotolerance Centre, PMB I4, Banjul, The Gambia; 2Department of Parasitology, Institute of Animal Parasitology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. 3Address for correspondance and reprints.
207
208
MATTtOLI, ZINSSTAG AND PFISTER
This study was supported by The European Development Fund and The Swiss Development Cooperation. Accepted for publication May 1992 REFERENCES LE JAN, C., TOMA,B. & BOURDIN,B. (1976). Revue Elevage Mddecine V~tdrinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 29, 195-198. National Agricultural Sample Survey (199 I). Statistical Yearbook of Gambia Agriculture: 1990. National Agricultural Data Centre, Banjul, The Gambia. p 38. NIGNAI~,M. (1988). Fiches Techniques de Pathologie des Animaux Domestiques au Burkina Faso. (Ed. D. Rouill6). Minist6re de l'Agrieulturc et de l'Elevage, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. pp 120-122. SARR, J. (1989). Situation de la peste equine au S6n6gal. Rapport de mission 5-6 Novembre 1989 sur la r6gion de Thib,s. Ref. No. 071/Viro ISRA Dakar-Hann. p 3. SAx~at,J., DIoP, M. & ClSSOKHO,S. (1988). Revue Elevage Mddecine Vdtdrinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 41, 243-246. SARa, J., NDO,~, E. D. P. & DIop, M. (1990). Note sur un foyer de peste equine ~. Kaffrine au Srnrgal. Ref. No. 53/Path. Inf. Aofit 1990, ISRA Dakar-Hann. p 7.
RECENT ADVANCES AND CURRENT CONCEPTS IN TROPICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE Eighth CTVM Course to be held from 4-16 April t993 An intensive short course in tropical veterinary medicine designed specifically for veterinarians. The objectives will be to review recent advances in animal health in the tropics and to consider their implications alongside current concepts in the organisation of animal health and production programmes. The emphasis of the course will be the review of recent knowledge and new technology and their application to the control of animal diseases in the tropics. For further information about this and the associated Recent Advances Plus range please contact Hamish Macandrew, UnivEd Technologies Ltd, 16 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9LN, Scotland.
