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• 18 horses infected • blood, saliva samples sent to Haryana lab to rule out outbreak of African Horse Sickness and Strangles currently plaguing horses across world
By Vipul Rajput and Mehul Jani
Posted On Sunday, April 05, 2009 at 03:08:35 AM
Police staff treating sick horses in horse camp of Ahmedabad
Silence reigns at the police horse training centre at Dafnala in Shahibaug. The mood is gloomy. Police handlers have lost four of their 36 horses in two days. Eighteen others, including national award winners, are ill; six of them quite serious. The worried staff is seen huddling around the ill horses, coaxing them to eat hay. Those too weak to comply are given glucose intravenously. The horses are being treated for influenza commonly known as flu.
To ensure that the treatment is right, the mounted police have sent samples of blood, urine and saliva from the sick horses to the National Research Centre on Equines in Hisar, Haryana.
The precautionary measure could be a reaction to the outbreak of two fatal equine diseases — African Horse Sickness and Strangles — across the world. Cases of Strangles, a disease affecting a horse’s respiratory system, has already been reported from France, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK, according to the Equine Disease Quarterly.
African Horse Sickness, the most lethal infectious disease of horses known, is being viewed as a potential threat to the United States now, reported the Gluck Equine Disease Quarterly. Up to 90% of infected horses die. Its symptoms are fever, sweating, breathing difficulties, discharge from the nose, and swelling of the eyes and/or head.
These are very similar to symptoms exhibited by the ailing police horses.
WARNING SIGNS
Mounted Inspector P B Gohil confirmed that four of their horses had died. “We lost Bosky, a 15-year-old female thoroughbred; Ajay, an 18-year-old male Kathiawadi; and Pride, a 20-year-old Sweety from Manipur on Thursday. Samrat, a 15-year-old male thoroughbred, died on Friday,” he said. Following a post-mortem, the dead horses were buried on the premises.
The horses fell ill on March 30. “We called doctors from the zilla division who began treatment. But next day, more horses fell ill. We called for reinforcement from the Anand Veterinary College, the animal husbandry department in Gandhinagar and the Amreli Zilla Panchayat,” said Gohil.
The horses were checked and the sick ones were divided into three categories — critical, serious and less serious — on April 1. The handlers are quite worried about Coco, a 14-year-old male thoroughbred, even though his condition is less serious. Bought for Rs 2 lakh, he is used for breeding.
Gohil said: “Three-four horses that won medals at national level at an event held in Rajasthan last month too fell ill. We will begin proper treatment once the Hisar lab confirms the strain of virus.”
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
The love that the handlers have for their horses is seen to be believed. Though they have divided the duties among themselves and drawn up schedules to ensure that the ill horses are taken care of 24x7, the staff continues to spend sleepless night.
These reporters saw rider Ramsinh standing guard near Toral, a female thoroughbred, from 6 am to 4 pm in the afternoon. Ramsinh had not budged an inch, not even to take a tea break. “When we sit on a horse, we become their father. We discipline them and love them as we do with our own kids. Will you abandon you child when she needs you the most? How then can I stay away when my daughter is ill?” he questions.
Even Gohil, who joined the centre a month ago, has got so attached to the animals that he spends his entire time co-ordinating the schedules of the doctors. He even ensured that the exhausted police staff and doctors are fed dinner before he sits down to eat. “The death of four horses is a big loss. We needed them to man city in coming elections. I see hope as some horses are responding to the treatment,” he said.
What is Strangles...
Strangles is a highly contagious disease that causes horses to have swollen and painful lymph nodes that block their airway and can cause difficult breathing. The name was coined because these enlarged nodes sometimes suffocate affected horses. Additional signs of disease include fever, loss of appetite and listlessness. Strangles has already been reported from France, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK.
... and African Horse Sickness
African Horse Sickness is a highly infectious, and deadly disease. This disease is spread by insect vectors which prefers warm, humid conditions. The acute form of the disease is characterised by high fever, depression and respiratory symptoms. The animal has trouble breathing, starts coughing, frothing from nostril and mouth, and shows signs of pulmonary oedema within four days. Serious lung congestion causes respiratory failure and results in death in under 24 hours.
Read more at Ahmedabad Miror....
By Vipul Rajput and Mehul Jani
Posted On Sunday, April 05, 2009 at 03:08:35 AM
Police staff treating sick horses in horse camp of Ahmedabad
Silence reigns at the police horse training centre at Dafnala in Shahibaug. The mood is gloomy. Police handlers have lost four of their 36 horses in two days. Eighteen others, including national award winners, are ill; six of them quite serious. The worried staff is seen huddling around the ill horses, coaxing them to eat hay. Those too weak to comply are given glucose intravenously. The horses are being treated for influenza commonly known as flu.
To ensure that the treatment is right, the mounted police have sent samples of blood, urine and saliva from the sick horses to the National Research Centre on Equines in Hisar, Haryana.
 |
"The death of four horses is a big loss for us. We needed them to man the city during the coming Assembly elections" —P B Gohil, mounted inspector |
African Horse Sickness, the most lethal infectious disease of horses known, is being viewed as a potential threat to the United States now, reported the Gluck Equine Disease Quarterly. Up to 90% of infected horses die. Its symptoms are fever, sweating, breathing difficulties, discharge from the nose, and swelling of the eyes and/or head.
These are very similar to symptoms exhibited by the ailing police horses.
WARNING SIGNS
Mounted Inspector P B Gohil confirmed that four of their horses had died. “We lost Bosky, a 15-year-old female thoroughbred; Ajay, an 18-year-old male Kathiawadi; and Pride, a 20-year-old Sweety from Manipur on Thursday. Samrat, a 15-year-old male thoroughbred, died on Friday,” he said. Following a post-mortem, the dead horses were buried on the premises.
The horses fell ill on March 30. “We called doctors from the zilla division who began treatment. But next day, more horses fell ill. We called for reinforcement from the Anand Veterinary College, the animal husbandry department in Gandhinagar and the Amreli Zilla Panchayat,” said Gohil.
The horses were checked and the sick ones were divided into three categories — critical, serious and less serious — on April 1. The handlers are quite worried about Coco, a 14-year-old male thoroughbred, even though his condition is less serious. Bought for Rs 2 lakh, he is used for breeding.
Gohil said: “Three-four horses that won medals at national level at an event held in Rajasthan last month too fell ill. We will begin proper treatment once the Hisar lab confirms the strain of virus.”
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
The love that the handlers have for their horses is seen to be believed. Though they have divided the duties among themselves and drawn up schedules to ensure that the ill horses are taken care of 24x7, the staff continues to spend sleepless night.
These reporters saw rider Ramsinh standing guard near Toral, a female thoroughbred, from 6 am to 4 pm in the afternoon. Ramsinh had not budged an inch, not even to take a tea break. “When we sit on a horse, we become their father. We discipline them and love them as we do with our own kids. Will you abandon you child when she needs you the most? How then can I stay away when my daughter is ill?” he questions.
Even Gohil, who joined the centre a month ago, has got so attached to the animals that he spends his entire time co-ordinating the schedules of the doctors. He even ensured that the exhausted police staff and doctors are fed dinner before he sits down to eat. “The death of four horses is a big loss. We needed them to man city in coming elections. I see hope as some horses are responding to the treatment,” he said.
What is Strangles...
Strangles is a highly contagious disease that causes horses to have swollen and painful lymph nodes that block their airway and can cause difficult breathing. The name was coined because these enlarged nodes sometimes suffocate affected horses. Additional signs of disease include fever, loss of appetite and listlessness. Strangles has already been reported from France, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK.
... and African Horse Sickness
African Horse Sickness is a highly infectious, and deadly disease. This disease is spread by insect vectors which prefers warm, humid conditions. The acute form of the disease is characterised by high fever, depression and respiratory symptoms. The animal has trouble breathing, starts coughing, frothing from nostril and mouth, and shows signs of pulmonary oedema within four days. Serious lung congestion causes respiratory failure and results in death in under 24 hours.
Read more at Ahmedabad Miror....
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