A study of the incidence of Dourine in horses in Namibia based on the diagnostic data of the Central Veterinary Laboratory

Abstract

Abstract by author:

Infection rates for Dourine observed at both national and regional levels appeared to fluctuate around 7 percent during the 15 years. At the level of individual regions, infection rates seem to depend on the level of interest and effort put by local farmers to control the disease. Commercial farming regions appeared to show higher incidences of Dourine in horses because most commercial farmers regularly submit sera for serological investigations. Conversely, incidences of the disease appeared much lower in communal regions because few horse sera are rarely made available to the laboratory for examination. Financial constraints are responsible for this observation since Dourine tests must be paid for. A more comprehensive serological surveillance of horses would establish the correct rates of infestation while epidemiological investigation at individual farm levels would identify factors that maintain the disease among horse populations in Namibia