Contingency Plans

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Farms and Agriculture

Contingency Plans

EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA

About the disease

Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) is an exotic viral disease that affects horses, mules and donkeys. EIA is often fatal to horses. If the affected animal recovers it remains a lifelong carrier of the disease and will thereby be infectious to other animals, therefore all infected animals must be humanely destroyed to control the spread of disease.

It does not commonly occur in Great Britain but it is present in other parts of the world. Horses are most likely to become infected when travelling abroad to countries, or areas of countries, where the disease is endemic, or from the use of biological products infected with the EIA virus.

Transmission

The most important way that this virus is transmitted normally is through large biting flies such as horseflies (tabanid species) or stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans).

It may also be spread by saliva, nasal secretions, faeces, semen, ova, and embryos. However, the risk from these routes is low and can be mitigated by good hygiene measures

Symptoms

Animals may be affected acutely, chronically, or sub-clinically. The incubation period is variable, from a matter of days to a few months, but is generally one to three weeks.

The disease is characterised by a recurring fever, anaemia, oedema, emaciation and death. However, many horses have very mild or inapparent signs on first exposure. Owners of such animals are unlikely to realise that they are infected unless serological testing is carried out. All infected horses, including those that are asymptomatic, become carriers and are infectious for life.

For more information on the disease go to: http://www.defra.gov.uk/index.htm

WHY HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS IN PLACE?

Most of us will remember the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak which caused a crisis in British Agriculture and Tourism. This saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms and over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed. By the time the disease was halted the crisis was estimated to have cost the United Kingdom £8bn.

Although this was not the first outbreak of foot and mouth disease it was by far the most devastating. The last outbreak prior to this was in 1967, which was confirmed to a small area of the country. Since then there has been a change in farming methods as animals are transported a greater distances and this contributed to why the disease was spread over such a wide area.

There are many diseases which could have the same affect on the United Kingdom, a full list can be found on the Defra website.

This is why it is important that we have contingency plans.

It is a good idea for each farming business to also have contingency plans of it’s own to limit the affects on your business should a disease be declared.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

As you know only too well there are many different agencies involved during any disease outbreak so legislation was set down to outline who is responsible for what, The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 reflects the role of authorities in providing civil protection at a local level and places a statutory duty on them to maintain emergency plans for events or situations likely to cause serious damage to human welfare and the environment.

The Animal Health Act 1981 (as amended by the 2002 Act) places statutory duties on local authorities in relation to animal disease outbreaks. This role is focused on preventing the spread of the notifiable animal disease, and thus limiting the effect of the disease on human and animal activities.

Therefore all local authorities must ensure that up to date animal disease contingency plans are in place and that responsibilities under the Animal Health Act 1981 and the EC Communities Act 1972 can be performed directly.

Our contingency plans are regularly revisited and tested to ensure that we can provide a rapid and effective response from the start of a suspected notifiable animal disease to the conclusion.

Guidance On The Plans

Our plans are made up of one generic plan which sets out what actions that will be required in all notifiable disease outbreaks.

This is then used in conjunction with the relevant disease annex. An annex has been written for every notifiable animal disease.

By clicking on the Generic Contingency Plan and then the relevant Annexe it will take you through to Devon’sContingency Plans.

Devon County Council Generic Plan

Annexe A = Avian Flu image - PDF icon (422KB - pdf help)