Leading horse charity calls for stricter disease control measures

Leading horse charity calls for stricter disease control measures

Following the detection of Equine Infectious Anaemia in two horses in Wiltshire, leading international horse charity World Horse Welfare is urgently calling for the European Commission to review its policies surrounding the disease.
 
Romania, where EIA is endemic, is one of the largest exporters of horses for slaughter in Europe. World Horse Welfare has raised concerns with the authorities in the UK, Brussels, Romania and other Member States many times over the last 6 to 7 years. There is a legal requirement for health certification before export from Romania, which includes blood testing for EIA.
The charity is asking the Commission to review the export procedures for horses leaving Romania to ensure that they cannot carry the disease and to put in place an EIA eradication programme to get rid of this disease once and for all.

World Horse Welfare Chief Executive Roly Owers said: "It is incredibly encouraging that post import checks have worked in this instance as it clearly underpins the procedures to safeguard horse health and welfare in the UK. Targeted post import checks are essential to maintain our freedom from disease and we trust that Defra will maintain a high level of checks on horses from Romania whilst the disease continues to be a problem there.