But what if this was Bird Flu????

We all acknowledge that DPI was too slow to enforce quarantine restrictions and to stop horse movements; too slow to recognise that it takes at least 10 days for blood tests to become positive (we have known this in humans for years); too slow to realise that a negative virus culture does not mean no virus (we have known this too) and that people seemed to sit on their hands shake their heads and tut tut rather than be pro-active.

But in some ways this was a practice run for a disease effecting humans- say Bird Flu or the like. Are we all confident that authorities would be prompter in their response if humans were involved ??? I don't think so - this is bureaucracy at it's most inept. Get a single person in charge who knows what they are doing - import someone if necessary who can not be swayed by the lobbying of various self interested groups. Better education is essential - people still think it is only a disease of Thoroughbreds. There are even vets turning up at properties in SE Qld without proper protective gear feeling safe just because there is no virus in their suburb - yet. Please remember there is an incubation period where your horse looks and behaves entirely normally but is still shedding virus.

The only bright topic at present is the weather - as like most viruse sand bacteria - it hates the heat and drying - so roll on the drought!!!