Equine Infectious Anaemia, otherwise known as Swamp Fever, is sadly back in the news again with confirmed cases in France and the UK.

Within the past month in France, 2 horses have been destroyed following positive tests – one in  Sarthe and the other in the Gironde, whilst another 44 are being treated as susceptible.

Last night Radio 5’s 5 live investigates program aired a report on EIA in horses. There have now been reported cases in 3 separate locations in Northumberland, Devon & Wiltshire. All 4 horses identified as positive originated from Romania, 2 via Belgium and the other 2 via another European country.

EIA was last seen in the UK 30 years ago, but Ireland had an outbreak back in 2006 resulting in huge financial implications and restrictions on equine movement as EIA hit Irish soil.

Blood sucking flies and contaminated equipment (i.e shared needles) are the causes of the spread of this highly contagious disease.

The trade in low value animals throughout Europe coming into UK is the main contributing factor here. The Tripartite agreement has left the UK open to huge risks of an endemic like this occurring with equines being transported and imported from all over the EU into the UK.

France has been retrospectively testing equines imported from Romania since 2007 when Romania joined the EU. The UK didn’t see fit to look at the risks from not just Romanian equines, but also un-passported and untraceable equines coming in from all over Europe, predominately through France. This is something that ERF have been tirelessly trying to get Defra to seriously look at for the past couple of years, when UK sites advertising French horses to ‘rescue’ from the meat chain where springing up like wildfire.

Interestingly, during the radio interview Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, could only say the all horses that come into the UK directly from Romania are being tested, not those originating from Romania. The program can be listened to by clicking here.

It has to be wondered just how many equines have already entered the UK and are living with this disease undetected.