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African Horse Sickness in Spain
In September of 1987 AHS was diagnosed in a Safari Park near Madrid (Aldea del Fresno). The most plausible hypothesis for the origin of the 1987 Spanish outbreak is a entry on June of several zebra from Namibia into the Safari Park. The first horses with clinical signs died in July, although were initially attributed to enterotoxaemia.
The disease spread throught the Alberche and Perales river basins. The number of equidae which died or had to be destroyed was 146 until official eradication in December 1987. In that time, 38000 animals were vaccinated using a polyvalent attenuated vaccine.
Almost one year later, in October 1988, and almost 600 Km away from the previous outbreak, horses died in a equine complex (Sotogrande) in the province of Cádiz. Laboratory test confirmed a new outbreak of AHS. The disease affected provinces of Cádiz and Málaga, and 156 horses died or were slaughtered. About 18000 animals were vaccinated, at first with attenuated polyvalent vaccine and later with a type 4 monovalent live vaccine. The last death was reported in December 1988.
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