Import risk analysis: Llamas (Lama glama) and alpacas (Vicugna ...

11. Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus
11.1. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
11.1.1. Aetiological agent
Family: Reoviridae; Genus: Orbivirus, Species: Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus.
There are 10 serogroups/strains (Mertens et al 2005).
11.1.2. OIE list
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease is an OIE listed disease but there is no Code chapter (OIE
2009).
11.1.3. New Zealand status
Listed on the Unwanted Organisms Register as an “other exotic organism” (MAF 2009).
11.1.4. Epidemiology
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is primarily a disease of white tailed deer in the
southeast USA. Outbreaks have also been reported in wild pronghorn antelope and bighorn
sheep. Although infection with the virus has been reported in ruminant species in other
regions of the world, it is not regarded as pathogenic in domestic ruminants (Maclachlan &
Osburn 2004). Although the virus is listed as occurring in camelids (Mertens et al 2005;
OIE 2008) no references were located to suggest that it causes disease in camelids or that
camelids are maintenance hosts. The virus is transmitted by a variety of Culicoides spp.
(Maclachlan & Osburn 2004; Paweska et al 2005), which are not present in New Zealand.
Evidence from other species indicates that animals infected with Orbiviruses are not
infectious and that transmission is only by Culicoides spp. vectors.
11.1.5. Hazard identification conclusion
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus rarely infects camelids. Infected camelids would not
be infectious and the vectors for the disease are not present in New Zealand (Tana &
Holder 2007; Frazer & Green 2008). Therefore, introduction of infected animals would not
result in establishment of EHD virus in New Zealand and it is not considered to be a
hazard in the commodity.
References
References marked * were sighted as abstracts in electronic data-bases.
Frazer J, Green O (2008). Arbovirus surveillance programme. Surveillance, 35(2), 14.
Maclachlan NJ, Osburn BI (2004). Epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer. In: Coetzer JAW, Tustin RC (eds)
Infectious Diseases of Livestock Vol. 2 Oxford University Press, Cape Town. Pp. 1227-30.
MAF (2009). Unwanted Organisms Register. Available at: http://mafuwsp6.maf.govt.nz/uor/searchframe.htm,
down loaded 11/1/2009.
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Import risk analysis: Llamas and alpacas from specified countries ● 37