According to a report on iol.co.za, an online publication in South Africa, African horse sickness (AHS) has been detected in the Worcester and Robertson districts of the Western Cape, 12 km (about 7 1/2 miles) from the premises where the area’s first case of AHS this year was reported on the border between the two districts.

The publication revealed that about 300 cases have been reported in KwaZulu-Natal (in the eastern part of the country). Read the article here.

“It is starting to look like an outbreak in the area as the first incident has not been an isolated case and turned out positive,” Dr. Gary Buhrmann, Western Cape Veterinary Services chief state vet for the Boland, told the publication.

Infected horses are being treated and quarantines are in place. Officials are encouraging horse owners to vaccinate their animals against the disease, keep the horses indoors where they have less exposure to Culicoides midges (which spread the disease), and to use insect repellents. Many of the infected animals were not vaccinated against AHS