A horse that died in late March on a farm on the border of the Worcester and Roberson Districts of the Western Cape of South Africa is being tested for African horse sickness (AHS), according to a report by Dianne Hawker first published in the Cape Argus newspaper this morning (April 11) and reprinted on www.iol.co.za.

In a March report on TheHorse.com, it was noted that South African horse owners and veterinarians were managing an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) in the George area, which is in southern South Africa (in the southeast region of the Western Cape). As of Feb. 28, 13 horses had died.

This latest case follows days after the removal of a European Union export ban on South African horses. Hawker noted that breeders feared an extension of the ban.

There is an “AHS-free zone,” which is the metropolitan area of Cape Town at the southwestern tip of the nation