Equine Viral Arteritis
Equine Viral Arteritis - discovery, control and eradication.
Equine Viral Arteritis was first found to be present in New Zealand horses in 1988. It was thought to have arrived in the country with a shipment of horses arriving from North America. Following a serological survey carried out in 1989 it was discovered that the virus had been circulating widely in the Standardbred sector, with 54 percent of Standardbreds testing serologically positive. A low level of seropositivity (3 percent) was also detected in the Thoroughbreds using the virus neutralisation test (VNT) to antibody for EAV. Shortly after this discovering implementation of control measures were put in place to begin the process of controlling the disease with the final goal being eradication from New Zealand and country freedom once again being declared.
There are have been several papers published by experts within New Zealand on the disease and the process of achieving eradication and declaring country freedom.