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Hendra Virus Update from the AHIC

Written by Aust. Horse Industry Council
Thursday, 21 August 2008
It is with deep regret that we learn of the tragic death last night of young veterinarian Dr. Ben Cuneen from Redlands Veterinary Clinic. Our sincere condolences go to Ben’s wife and family. Our thoughts are also with the staff of Ben’s workplace. Ben had contracted infection with Hendra virus (HeV) while working with horses at Redlands Veterinary Clinic near Brisbane. Ben had been seriously ill in hospital for several weeks. Many of you will know of the latest HeV incidents in Queensland. There have been infections of horses at a property near Proserpine and at a veterinary clinic at Redlands. There have been five horses that have died from HeV infections at Redlands and one at Proserpine. Two clinic staff also became infected at Redlands. The other staff member remains under close medical supervision. So far, there have been 11 instances of HeV infections noted in horses (10 in QLD and 1 in NSW), with four of those also involving infections of people. To our knowledge, only six people have been infected with HeV, and three of them have died. HeV is a very significant infection in both horses and people. It is one of Australia’s unique zoonoses – infections that can pass from animals to humans. It must be emphasised that HeV infection is a very rare event in horses, and is even less common in humans. HeV was first noted in 1994 during an outbreak of respiratory disease in a stable of Thoroughbred horses at Hendra. There had never been any previous reports of infections in any species. In that outbreak, many horses died or were subsequently destroyed. HeV infected two people, with one person dying (horse trainer Vic Rail) and a stable employee surviving the infection. After much research, HeV was eventually traced to the flying fox populations of QLD. HeV infects only fruit eating bats, not insectivorous bats. The only other animals susceptible to infection (apart from horses and humans) appear to be cats and guinea pigs. It must be emphasised that deaths in cats and guinea pigs from naturally acquired HeV infection have not been recorded to date. Much remains to be learned about HeV. The mode of transmission from bats to horses remains to be determined. How HeV produces clinical signs in horses is also not known precisely. The only way that HeV can be diagnosed is via specific laboratory tests. There are no definitive clinical signs of HeV infection in horses – the clinical signs could be due to a whole range of other factors. Initially the disease was associated with onset of mild respiratory disease, but in more recent outbreaks, the affected horses have displayed nervous symptoms. This makes it very difficult for horse owners and anybody else who comes into contact with sick horses in areas where there are flying foxes to know what precautions to take to prevent human infections. Further, the mode of transmission from infected horses to humans remains a mystery. From the human infections so far, it appears that they have become infected before it was realised that sick horses were carrying HeV. Horse owners and carers in QLD and NSW must take precautions in any horses that are sick in case the horse has HeV infection. This is particularly the case where horses might be exposed to areas where flying foxes congregate. These latest HeV infections emphasise the importance of not forgetting the biosecurity lessons learned during the Equine Influenza outbreak. Biosecurity is something that all animal owners must remain vigilant about and incorporate into their daily routines. QLD DPI is currently updating specific guidelines for horse owners and veterinarians about HeV. You should consult your local veterinary practitioner if you have any suspicions of illness in your horses. You should also visit the QLD DPI website for the latest information about HeV infection and relevant biosecurity measures to take.