Nine horses have succumbed to African horse sickness (AHS) in the Western Cape, South Africa, according to www.iol.com. The last horse was reported dead on March 12 by the South African news source. The horse died in the Stellenbosch magisterial district; however, the disease has now spread outside of the district.

African horse sickness is a lethal virus spread by the Culicoides bolitinos midge, a species of small fly. Midges need an infected horse as a viral source for the disease to spread. African horse sickness has the potential to spread very rapidly.

The seventh and eighth cases were confirmed on properties on the Anandale and Bottelary roads just outside of the Stellenbosch district, although authorities believe the outbreak was still mainly confined to the original infection area in Stellenbosch, reported the web site.

Officials are monitoring the outbreak, which began the week of Feb. 23, through samples and data collected from 1,150 equine properties (with an approximate population of 3,050 horses) in the area around Elsenburg Agricultural College