How is AHS spread?
The AHSV, like the BTV, is carried and transmitted by certain species of midges from the Culicoides family. AHS is transmitted to a horse by the bite of an infected Culicoides midge. INSERT IMAGE OF CULICOIDES MIDGE HERE Culicoides midge – Photograph courtesy Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright. Once the AHSV has been transmitted to a horse, the horse can remain infected for several weeks (infected animals do not remain carriers of the virus). Therefore, any non-infected Culicoides midge that bites and feeds from the blood of the infected horse is highly likely to become infected with the AHSV. This new-infected midge may then bite another horse and continue the spread of disease. AHSV can also be transmitted between horses by infected blood, such as via contaminated hypodermic needles.
