12/02/2023 | Resistance, Chaco.
The veterinary doctor and member of the Argentine Rural Society (SRA) of the National Equine Health Commission of Senasa, Santiago Tapia, indicated today that the national laboratories would have 350,000 vaccines available “in two weeks” against Equine Encephaliomelitis, although he admitted that They would still be insufficient for demand.
“There are palliatives such as corticosteroids and serums when horses get sick, but the important thing is that the vaccine arrives. At this time, (the laboratory) Zoetis had vaccines in quantity only for some horse concentration movements. Some go to neighboring countries, but it is very expensive. It costs US$ 15 or US$ 16 and is only used to protect very valuable animals on farms,” Tapia said this morning in dialogue with Radio Colonia.
According to the national laboratories, he indicated, “in two weeks there could be 350,000 vaccines” along with some imported batches.
“What needs to be ordered is how to distribute them because there are going to be orders for two million. It’s going to be carnage. On Monday the National Equine Health Commission of Senasa will have a meeting because we want to know what the distribution mechanism will be like,” explained the veterinarian and equine producer.
Tapia explained that “there are close to three million horses” in the country, and stated that the expansion of the outbreak “was faster than initially thought.”
Equine Encephalomyelitis is an exotic disease transmitted by vectors – especially mosquitoes infected by birds – during the summer to horses, including horses, mares, donkeys, zebras and their hybrids.
The fatality rate can reach 90%, in the case of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE), between 20% to 30% for Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE) – the variant that currently affects the country – and between 40% and 90% for Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis (VEE), with the possibility of leaving consequences in convalescing horses.
The incubation period of the disease, between infection and symptoms, is between 5 to 14 days, and the signs are neurological since it affects the central nervous system and include wandering, hyperexcitation, depression, hyperthermia and recumbency.
The disease can also affect humans, although they usually do not present symptoms or develop them mildly, with little mortality.
For Tapia, the Senasa “so far has been impeccable and did what it had to do.”
“You can’t do more than find the outbreak, report it, classify it and put the necessary restrictions in place,” he explained.
The expert pointed out that the lack of vaccines is due to the absence of demand and the loss of the habit of inoculating horses.
“In the 1980s there were the last outbreaks and in recent years vaccinations were stopped and vaccinations were no longer required. People relaxed and stopped vaccinating, and Senasa gradually gave in to the demands. The laboratories, since no one bought vaccines, stopped making them because otherwise they had to throw away their production,” he explained.
An analogous situation – he noted – occurred in Uruguay, while Brazil “does not have problems because they vaccinated.”
Tapia estimated that with the mass vaccination that there will be in the face of recent virus outbreaks, initially there will be “a cost problem due to lack of supply and high demand,” but that they will then balance out.
“Vaccination should be required. The only mandatory vaccination that horses have today is for influenza and only for concentrations. Generally the poleros end up buying the triple with influenza, tetanus and encephalomyelitis so they are covered, he would say, unintentionally from the disease,” he said.
In addition to vaccinating, Tapia recommended “fighting the vectors”, shielding the horses with caravans of cows and fumigating in places such as “stables”, “boxes” and “around the cabins”.
Source: Télam
2023-12-02 15:05:08
#estimate #weeks #vaccines #Equine #Encephaliomelitis
