Bruce Graham, chairman of the New Zealand Equine Health Association, today released the latest information from Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) about the outbreak of Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) in Ireland:
Gillian Mylrea, BNZ Animal Imports Team Manager says, "We have been in contact with officials at the Irish and UK Ministries to get an update on the EIA outbreak. We have been assured by the Irish Ministry that the 10 horses due to be exported from Ireland to New Zealand meet New Zealand's importation certification requirements that they originate from a premises where clinical cases of EIA have not occurred during the three months prior to export and the horses have been tested for EIA with negative Coggins results during the 21 days prior to export".
Ms Mylrea has also forwarded additional comments from the UK Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA):
"As you can imagine, we have been in close contact with the Irish authorities who have sent us tracing information on horses moved to the UK that may have been exposed or are contacts to exposed horses. These horses have been traced, isolated and are being tested for EIA using AGIDT at 30 day intervals. This testing will continue for at least three months after the traced horse entered the UK. So far all tests in the UK are negative."
"The Irish have told us that they have confirmed 14 cases of EIA and have 17 premises under restrictions, associated with the original two infected premises and the associated animal hospital contacts, and some 500 animals under individual restriction as a result of their tracing activity – no horses under restrictions are eligible for movement to other EU Member States including UK. We have not imposed any additional official controls on the import of horses from Ireland but are of course keeping the situation under review."
DEFRA's preliminary outbreak assessment and subsequent updates can be found here:http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/infectiousanaemia.htm
The NZEHA is maintaining very close contact with Biosecurity New Zealand on EIA and will issue further updates as required.
About the New Zealand Equine Health AssociationThe New Zealand Equine Health Association comprises representatives of all equine industry sectors, including thoroughbred and harness racing. Board members include the NZTBA's chief executive Michael Martin.
The Equine Health Association's role is to protect New Zealand's equine industry by developing protocols that prevent the introduction of equine diseases, and by liaising closely with the Biosecurity division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as the equine industry official contact point.
- NZEHA
Gillian Mylrea, BNZ Animal Imports Team Manager says, "We have been in contact with officials at the Irish and UK Ministries to get an update on the EIA outbreak. We have been assured by the Irish Ministry that the 10 horses due to be exported from Ireland to New Zealand meet New Zealand's importation certification requirements that they originate from a premises where clinical cases of EIA have not occurred during the three months prior to export and the horses have been tested for EIA with negative Coggins results during the 21 days prior to export".
Ms Mylrea has also forwarded additional comments from the UK Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA):
"As you can imagine, we have been in close contact with the Irish authorities who have sent us tracing information on horses moved to the UK that may have been exposed or are contacts to exposed horses. These horses have been traced, isolated and are being tested for EIA using AGIDT at 30 day intervals. This testing will continue for at least three months after the traced horse entered the UK. So far all tests in the UK are negative."
"The Irish have told us that they have confirmed 14 cases of EIA and have 17 premises under restrictions, associated with the original two infected premises and the associated animal hospital contacts, and some 500 animals under individual restriction as a result of their tracing activity – no horses under restrictions are eligible for movement to other EU Member States including UK. We have not imposed any additional official controls on the import of horses from Ireland but are of course keeping the situation under review."
DEFRA's preliminary outbreak assessment and subsequent updates can be found here:http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/infectiousanaemia.htm
The NZEHA is maintaining very close contact with Biosecurity New Zealand on EIA and will issue further updates as required.
About the New Zealand Equine Health AssociationThe New Zealand Equine Health Association comprises representatives of all equine industry sectors, including thoroughbred and harness racing. Board members include the NZTBA's chief executive Michael Martin.
The Equine Health Association's role is to protect New Zealand's equine industry by developing protocols that prevent the introduction of equine diseases, and by liaising closely with the Biosecurity division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as the equine industry official contact point.
- NZEHA
