Gate Shut After Horse Bolted.

Well-known breeder and exporter, John McMillan has been in lockdown for two weeks, but feels the DPI were “too slow at closing the outbreak down. The DPI did not shut our property down until the tests from our horses were declared positive, a period of four days. We should have been shut down as soon as there was suspicion we might have had Equine Influenza on the property. And at Warwick they should have shut the place down and thrown hamburgers and chaff over the fence to them. It may sound a joke, but from what I understand the major problem with this outbreak has been the human carriers. I don’t think people have been anywhere near careful enough in this outbreak. It cannot be denied that the virus is airborne, but I think in many cases it has been an excuse for human negligence.

“The blame game is not productive and we must learn how to handle the situation better. A combination of unfortunate circumstances has resulted in the virus contaminating horses in Australia and of course that could happen again. In some ways with regard to quarantine and bio security, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. The DPI was quick to act, but not quick enough.

“On a brighter note, all out horses have had the flu and are recovering well. We were most concerned about Casper (former World Cup showjumper) as he is 24 and just retired. He was imported from Belgium many years ago, and he did not have it badly at all. Whether that has anything to do with the fact that he would have been vaccinated when younger and certainly before he came into Australia, I don’t know”.