Mellor P S
Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Woking, Surrey, UK.
Vet Res. 1993;24(2):199-212.
African horse sickness (AHS) virus causes a non-contagious, infectious, arthropod-borne disease of equines and occasionally of dogs. The virus is widely distributed across sub-Saharan African where it is transmitted between susceptible vertebrate hosts by the vectors. These are usually considered to be species of Culicoides biting midges but mosquitoes and/or ticks may also be involved to a greater or lesser extent. Periodically the virus makes excursions beyond its sub-Saharan enzootic zones but until recently does not appear to have been able to maintain itself outside these areas for more than 2-3 consecutive years at most. This is probably due to a number of factors including the apparent absence of a long term vertebrate reservoir, the prevalence and seasonal incidence of the vectors and the efficiency of control measures (vaccination and vector abatement). The recent AHS epizootics in Iberia and N Africa spanning as they do, 5 or more yr, seem to have established a new pattern in AHS virus persistence. This is probably linked to the continuous presence of adult C imicola in the area. Culicoides imicola is basically an Afro-Asiatic insect and prefers warm climates. Therefore its continuous adult presence in parts of Iberia and N Africa may be due to some recent moderations of the climate in these areas.
非洲马瘟（AHS）病毒引发一种非传染性、感染性、节肢动物传播的马属动物疾病，偶尔也会感染犬类。该病毒广泛分布于撒哈拉以南非洲地区，通过媒介在易感脊椎动物宿主之间传播。这些媒介通常被认为是库蠓属的吸血蠓，但蚊子和/或蜱虫也可能或多或少地参与其中。该病毒会定期扩散至撒哈拉以南的地方病疫区之外，但直到最近，似乎最多也无法在这些区域之外连续维持超过两到三年。这可能是由于多种因素造成的，包括明显缺乏长期脊椎动物宿主、媒介的流行率和季节性发病率以及控制措施（疫苗接种和媒介控制）的效率。最近在伊比利亚半岛和北非发生的持续5年或更长时间的非洲马瘟 epizootics，似乎在非洲马瘟病毒的持续存在方面建立了一种新模式。这可能与该地区成年库蠓的持续存在有关。库蠓基本上是一种亚非昆虫，喜欢温暖的气候。因此，它在伊比利亚半岛和北非部分地区成年个体的持续存在，可能是由于这些地区最近气候有所缓和。
