PROVIDING there are no outbreaks of African horse sickness in the controlled area in the Western Cape before May, South Africa will be in a position to apply to its trading partners for direct exports from the Kenilworth Quarantine Station in Cape Town next month, according to Racing SA chairman Peter Gibson. 

Photo per illustration.

According to the current (2008) OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) guidelines for African horse sickness (AHS), following last year’s outbreak in the AHS controlled area in the Western Cape, South Africa’s free status was lost for a period of 12 months after the last case, which occurred on 3 May 2011.

The exception is the European Union. Its current legislation (24 months suspension) is not in line with the 2008 OIE AHS Code and it will require an Act of Parliament to change its import criteria.

As a senior official in the British Horseracing Authority put it, “… changing EU law is a glacially slow process, not months, usually years, but sometimes decades”.

Gibson continued: “From a local perspective, movement into the AHS Controlled Area in the Western Cape is dependent on the AHS status at the point of origin.

“The State Veterinary officer will not issue a movement permit (to the Western Cape) until 30 days after the last recorded case of AHS if it was within a 30km radius of the point of origin (for instance, Randjesfontein in Midrand). On the other hand, there are no movement restrictions within the infected area, say, Johannesburg to Durban.”