Horses and People Magazine

Reports about the Hendra virus (HeV) outbreak in horses near Brisbane over the past few days serves as a timely reminder about the critical importance of monitoring of horses and implementation of biosecurity protocols for horse owners.

Lessons from the recent Equine Influenza outbreak must not be forgotten. This also serves to remind us that emergency disease outbreaks can happen independently of any border quarantine issues. Emergency horse diseases can arise within Australia; they do not necessarily come from off shore.

HeV is a virus that circulates in fruit eating bats. Since the early 1990’s, there has been a number of HeV infections causing clinical disease in horses in QLD, and one incident in northern NSW in 2007. We still do not know how the virus passes from bats to horses.

Horse owners need to be aware that there is a possibility of humans also contracting HeV infection when handling affected horses. Again, this is a very uncommon occurrence with only four previous reports of HeV infections in humans. Implementation of personal hygiene and biosecurity around all sick horses is imperative.

The clinical signs in the current QLD HeV outbreak appear to be different from previous episodes. In these affected horses, the most prominent clinical signs have been related to the nervous system – for example unusual behaviour, head tilt, and recumbency. In previous instances of HeV infections, there have been reports of respiratory signs or even mild colic when horses have first been noted to be sick.

QLD DPI and the Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong have confirmed HeV in these currently affected horses. Preliminary analysis of this version of the virus indicates that there have been some changes to the composition of the virus. It remains to be determined whether these compositional changes relate to the different clinical signs displayed by horses in this outbreak.

AHIC urges horse owners and carers to monitor the health of their horses constantly. Any unusual clinical signs in horses should be reported immediately to a veterinary practitioner or to the Department of Primary Industries in your State or Territory.HENDRA VIRUS INFECTION OF HORSES IN QLD
There are reports about another Hendra virus (HeV) outbreak in horses near Brisbane over the past few days. This serves as a timely reminder about the critical importance of monitoring of horses and implementation of biosecurity protocols for horse owners. Lessons from the recent Equine Influenza outbreak must not be forgotten. This also reminds us that emergency disease outbreaks can happen independently of any border quarantine issues. Emergency horse diseases can arise within Australia; they do not necessarily come from off shore.

HeV is a virus that circulates in fruit eating bats. Since the early 1990’s, there has been a number of HeV infections causing clinical disease in horses in QLD, and one incident in northern NSW in 2007. We still do not know how the virus passes from bats to horses.

Horse owners need to be aware that there is a possibility of humans also contracting HeV infection when handling affected horses. Again, this is a very uncommon occurrence with only four previous reports of HeV infections in humans. Implementation of personal hygiene and biosecurity around all sick horses is imperative.

The clinical signs in the current QLD HeV outbreak appear to be different from previous episodes. In these affected horses, the most prominent clinical signs have been related to the nervous system – for example unusual behaviour, head tilt, and recumbency. In previous instances of HeV infections, there have been reports of respiratory signs or even mild colic when horses have first been noted to be sick.

QLD DPI and the Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong have confirmed HeV in these currently affected horses. Preliminary analysis of this version of the virus indicates that there have been some changes to the composition of the virus. It remains to be determined whether these compositional changes relate to the different clinical signs displayed by horses in this outbreak.

AHIC urges horse owners and carers to monitor the health of their horses constantly. Any unusual clinical signs in horses should be reported immediately to a veterinary practitioner or to the Department of Primary Industries in your State or Territory.