UPDATE BRIEFING NOTE ON THE CURRENT EIA SITUATION IN IRELAND

Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA)
Update – 1 February 2007

The Department has confirmed twenty-eight cases of Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA), the most recent on 10 December 2006. Most of the cases were concentrated, with some exceptions, in the Meath/Kildare/Dublin area. All but three of the cases confirmed were in thoroughbred horses.

It is now 53 days since the most recent case, significantly longer than any interval between any two previous cases. Since September 2006, the intervals between cases have lengthened with intervals of 27, 20 and 25 days, respectively, being recorded in the four previous cases.

The most recent case was confirmed in a horse which had been blood sampled as part of a targeted surveillance programme in Co Meath. That programme, involving the testing of over 8200 horses in Counties Meath, Dublin and Kildare, has now been completed with no further cases being identified since 10 December, despite the thousands of tests undertaken.

A thorough investigation has been carried out in relation to all of the cases and, at this stage, the Department is satisfied, based on the significant epidemiological data gathered, that all of the cases can now be associated back to events related directly or indirectly to the initial outbreak and is further satisfied that there are veterinary treatment linkages in a number of these cases.

The Department is continuing to progress its investigation into the circumstances in which the disease was first introduced into the country. This investigation is a comprehensive one and the Department will, in the event of sufficient evidence being established, endeavour to pursue a prosecution. Because of the nature of the investigation, the Department is not in a position to comment any further on its progress at this stage.

At one time or another movement restrictions were placed on 53 separate premises, of which only eight remain in place. Four of these are due for derestriction within days. Assuming no further cases, the last of the restricted premises will be derestricted by the middle of March, on completion of the necessary testing regime.

In all, the Department had imposed movement restrictions on over 1200 individual horses, the majority of them on their home premises where their owners were advised by the Department to ensure that they are isolated from contact with other horses. Almost ninety per cent of these restrictions have now been lifted and all outstanding restrictions will be lifted by mid-March, assuming no new developments.

Between the Irish Equine Centre (IEC) and the Departments Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL), over 42,000 samples have been tested for EIA, with still just the twenty-eight cases confirmed to date. Since the beginning of January, the IEC has tested in excess of 14,000 samples, illustrating clearly the level of compliance in the industry with the recommendation of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association published in their Codes of Practice for 2007. It’s estimated that a further 8,000-10,000 blood samples will be tested by the end of March, bringing to as many as 50,000 the number sampled since the initial outbreak in June 2006.

The Department has publicly endorsed the ITBA recommendation and has written to the over 50 studmasters throughout the country who have themselves committed publicly to the strict compliance with the ITBA recommendation, commending them for the manner in which they so publicly signed-up to the strict implementation of the ITBA recommendation and acknowledging their contribution to the combined efforts of the Department and the industry to contain and eradicate EIA from Ireland.

In addition to the measures being taken by the Department, any horse owner whose horse(s) shows any clinical symptoms suggestive of EIA should immediately contact their private veterinary practitioner and have arrangements made to have the horse sampled and the sample analysed for the disease.

Further to its advice to horse owners, the Department is, in view of the apparent veterinary association in a number of the cases, reiterating the advice, consistently given over the past five months, that veterinary practitioners should, at all times, observe the highest standards of hygiene and should ensure that, in all circumstances, contaminated veterinary instruments are either appropriately disposed of or thoroughly sterilised (autoclaved) before reuse.

The Department is, as it has from the outset, continuing to treat the outbreak very seriously and has devoted considerable resources in its drive to contain and eradicate the disease. Notwithstanding the progress made, the Department is acutely conscious of the need for continued and ongoing vigilance and is continuing to devote such resources as are considered necessary to ensure the ultimate eradication of the disease. The Department appreciates the value and prestige of the Irish bloodstock industry and is continuing to work closely with the various elements of the industry, including the breeding, racing, sports horse and sales sectors and, with the active cooperation and assistance of the bloodstock industry, is committed to the maintenance of complete confidence in the industry.

The Department is committed to ensuring that it communicates comprehensively and frequently with both the thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred sectors and the wider industry, including the veterinary profession, and appreciates the very high level of co-operation and assistance provided by all those involved in the Irish equine industry. To that end, the Department has had ongoing dialogue with representatives of the thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred sectors as well as the veterinary profession - most recently at a meeting on 31 January - and intends to continue that dialogue with a such further meeting as are necessary and the Department will continue to update the industry on any further developments.

Both the Department and the bloodstock industry are agreed there is no place for complacency in the efforts to contain and eradicate EIA from Ireland and that must be maintained.

The combination of having had over 14,000 negative test results in January alone, along with the completion of the targeted surveillance programme, has significantly extended the Department’s surveillance net and, with a further 8,000-10,000 samples to be tested before the end of March, is providing increasing confidence to the Irish and international equine communities that this outbreak is being contained and very good progress being made towards its eradication. The lengthening intervals between cases over the past three months, and in particular the period to have elapsed since the most recent case, give further comfort and reassurance that the situation in now stable and that the outbreak has been contained.

Ends.

MOST UP-TO-DATE TABLE OF CASES, SHOWING THE INTERVALS BETWEEN CASES

 
Sequence of Confirmed Cases of EIA

PRESS RELEASE ON THE LEVELS OF TESTING UNDERTAKEN IN JANUARY 2007 FOR EIA

The Department of Agriculture and Food and the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (ITBA) today confirmed that the Virology Unit of the Irish Equine Centre (IEC) has tested in excess of 14,000 blood samples for Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) in January, bringing to over 42,000 the total number of samples tested since the first case was confirmed in June 2006.

The Department commended the ITBA for the inclusion of a specific EIA recommendation in its 2007 Code of Practice and those more than fifty stud farms which signed-up to the strict implementation of the recommendation. The Department said that the stud farmers’ and mare owners’ commitment to the application of the EIA recommendation demonstrated the industry’s commitment to playing its part to ensuring the containment and speedy eradication of the disease and complemented the Department’s own efforts to the same end.

The Department confirmed that it is now 53 days since the most recent case was confirmed on 10 December, by some distance the longest interval to have elapsed between any two cases, thus giving increasing confidence that the outbreak has been contained and that significant progress has been made towards its eradication. The Department also confirmed that it has concluded its targeted surveillance programme in the Meath/Kildare/Dublin region, though testing of samples will continue, particularly for horses being entered for sale or for export.

The Department and the ITBA expressed their satisfaction with the level of EIA testing undertaken in January which they said ‘demonstrated strong support for the recommendation made by the ITBA, in its Code of Practice, that all mares to be covered in 2007 should have the first of two EIA tests in January 2007.’ Appreciation was also expressed for the ongoing commitment of the IEC to ensuring that the volume of testing is undertaken expeditiously.

It is anticipated that the total number of samples tested for EIA by the end of March will have increased to as many as 50,000. The Department also said that, assuming no further cases, all premises restrictions should be lifted by mid-March. In all, 53 premises have been subjected to movement restriction since the initial outbreak in June, with only eight premises currently under restriction.

In addition to the EIA tests carried out last month, in excess of 8,500 tests were also undertaken for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and it is expected that this figure will also increase significantly over the remainder of the 2007 breeding season.

Both the Department and the ITBA emphasised the need for continued vigilance and, notwithstanding the improving situation, both stressed the need for the continued strict compliance with the ITBA Code of Practice recommendation that any mare to be covered this season should have a second EIA test if their January test is outside of 28 days of their transportation to a stud or foaling unit.

1 February, 2007