Equine influenza daily update - 20 September 2007

NSW DPI
SITUATION UPDATE
There are currently 1456 infected properties, 362 dangerous contact properties and 326 suspect properties. The new infected properties reported yesterday continue to occur in existing restricted areas. Approximately 60% of NSW remains completely free of the virus.
The number of Restricted Areas remains at 23. The spread of infection from property to property remains very high in the proposed red or purple zones (see map)

Qld DPI
Latest News as of Thursday 20 September 2007
A new Green zone is in place in Queensland from today. More information about what the zones mean is available below. 198 infected properties (IPs) have now been confirmed in Queensland, twenty more than yesterday. The latest IPs are in Warwick, Minden/Rosewood, Tambourine, the Brisbane western suburbs and Millmerran.

Courage Under Fire.

When we last spoke to Heath Ryan, EI had not reached his Lochinvar property and it sounded as if his horses were going to be involved in the proposed ring vaccination programme. Horse Deals spoke to Heath on the 20th September to see how everything was progressing.

“Well, we still don’t have EI, but it is all around us and only about a kilometer away, and the vets say it is just a matter of days. The inoculation programme is moving south, so that may not happen. If by some total fluke we don’t get it and we can survive for two weeks, there is every chance we won’t get it. I am in two minds really, as the horses have a greater long-term immune status to fight further EI infection if they have actually been exposed to the live virus. But my big concern is that I have a lot of mares due to foal soon, and my imagination is running away with me as to the consequences if they do succumb. However, I have been told that mares and foals are coping pretty well with the flu. One of the considerations is to just let the horses get it, but having worked so long and so hard not to get it, I find it very hard to just take the sign off the gate.

“The economics of the situation are pretty grim for a lot of people. For instance we were expecting 100 outside mares this season, and nothing the government has proposed yet will go near to compensating us. The only way we are going to get anything like adequate compensation is regrettably through court action. But if you are actually going under, and people are, you do not have the wherewithal to initiate legal proceedings”.

What is happening at Warwick?

They took blood two days ago and will do so again in a week, and depending on the results perhaps they will be released, but it is all experimental. I am concerned thought, that when they are released they will not be allowed back into NSW”.

PS
One wonders what could be safer in this situation than horses that have had EI, are over it and are not longer shedding viral spores?

Waiting

I am situated on the far north coast of NSW, when I look at the maps forQueensland and then for NSW it looks like we are totally hemmed in. Wehaven’t heard anything the level of risk we may be at. It would be greatto see a map with infected areas of the whole of Australia has any oneseen one on their trawls of any of the sites covering EI? Although wehave had no cases in our area I wonder how long before it surfaces,especially with the influx of tourists coming south for day trips etc. Ijust hope that horse owners in the affected areas in SE Queensland arefollowing the bio security measures.
Jemima Payne

Vaccination buffer zone

How does the vaccination buffer zone work? Supposedly vaccinated horses can still catch and transmit the virus (how it got out originally). I am with Sarah Allen, great idea.

Vanessa.

QLD NSW Boarder are the dept's working together?

Does anyone know if DPI NSW and DPI QLD are working together or not?We are on the Far North Coast and have been frustrated at the lack ofinformation about the areas infected in SE QLD. Up until just veryrecently the DPI QLD website had very little information and no maps ofwere the outbreaks were, just names of places which you then had to lookwhere it is. I am concerned that these government departments aren’tworking together because you look at both the NSW maps and the QLD mapsand Warwick and Tambouine are closer to the Far North Coast area then anyof the NSW infected areas. SE QLD is now in the red zone on QLD websitebut on NSW website Far North Coast and Tweeds zones are not consideredhigh risk. Go figure. I think there is more risk of EI spreading Southfrom across the boarder into our area than is actually being considered.

Also where are the assistance packages for the commoners who are out ofpocket because of the standstill. We have a horse we are payingagistment for because he can't be moved. This wasn't budgeted for but noassistance is forthcoming and no phone calls get returned. Unfortunatelyhe isn't a race horse! God I'm so over the medias perception of the onlyhorses and owners etc impacted on are the racey ones.

No Direction Home

It is a big expedition to bring a truckload of horses from Western Australia to compete on the east coast. But for WA residents David and Linda Dobson, bringing their showjumpers from their base just outside Perth to compete in the east has been a fact of life for many years. Amongst the elite few in the showjumping world, it is essential they test themselves and their horses against other elite combinations, most of which are based in the eastern states. They set out with six horses to compete first at the Elysian Showjumping Championships in Queensland, do Brisbane Royal, and travel home via the South Australian World Cup shows and Adelaide Royal. They arrived in Adelaide just a few days before the EI outbreak was made public.

David takes up the story, “our horses have been at Michelle and Tim Clarke’s place since the 19th August and the only other horses there are some youngsters, about half a mile away. The SA DPI have been extremely good, as when they heard we had come from Brisbane, they came and monitored the horses for five days to determine that they did not have EI. I have been in contact with the WA DPI and we are not allowed across the border, even now, despite the fact that horses can move around SA and Victoria and cross that border. I can drive to the WA border but cannot cross the state line, despite the fact that we have been virtually in quarantine since the 19th August. The WA DPI have said that unlike the other states, they are not going to issue travel permits, with no explanation as to their reasoning. To my knowledge the WA DPI have not been in contact with the SA DPI regarding our situation. The irony is that if we put something on the truck with any sort of virus and headed off across the Nullabour, it would be dead by the time we got to Kalgolie, just from the trip, so it is a trip we always make with the utmost care.

“I contacted the WA EFA to ask if they were aware that some of their members, including Anna McGregor, Shaun Squire and I think a couple of eventers were stuck in SA? They have offered no support in any shape or form and I think support the border being locked. The Federal EFA have been very supportive, but locally no contact what so ever, which is disappointing. There seems to be some action now as we have engaged a lawyer with some political clout, and he has spoken to the WA Minister of Agriculture. Things have started to happen since then and we are told that the border may be open on the 30th. Before that we were told that it might be months before we could get the horses home and that is our priority.

“What I have been advised is that humans are most likely the cause if the spread of EI and anyone can just fly into WA. I flew back a couple of days after the outbreak, but I asked my vet what precautions I should take. People have complained that I was allowed back and that Chris Chugg should not be allowed to come over and give a clinic. Professional horse people are not the ones to spread the virus, certainly not at this stage. There is paranoia in WA like you would not believe”.

David’s comments bring up a couple of concerns, firstly regarding the “nationally co-ordinated response to EI”, and secondly the lack of informed education regarding EI. “The DPI have done a good job in getting across the seriousness of EI, but have made people paranoid in the process, which I suppose is to be expected”. Paranoia is no substitute for quarantine and good bio-security habits, which if we maintained the former, we would not experience the latter. What is also of concern, it that not everybody can resort to legal and political intervention. Common sense it would seem comes at a high price.

Plans for horse flu vaccine to be used in southern Qld

Racing industry shocked at Youth Day plan
Senior horse racing officials say they are astounded that the New South Wales Government is considering allowing organisers of World Youth Day to have access to the locked down Randwick Racecourse. Read the full story.

Show underway as flu bans stop horse events
For the first time in its history, the Royal Melbourne Show will get underway today without any horses involved. Read the full story.

Plans for horse flu vaccine to be used in southern Qld
Australia's acting chief vet says the use of vaccine to create buffer zones will not threaten Australia's return to horse flu-free status. Read the full story.

Vaccination buffer zone

How does the vaccination buffer zone work? Supposedly vaccinated horses can still catch and transmit the virus (how it got out originally). I am with Sarah Allen, great idea.

Vanessa.

Rapid Influenza tests

With all of the publicity surrounding the current Equine Influenza outbreak, it still surprises me that Rapid Point-of-Care testing has not been adopted. The tests that are available now are extremely simple to perform with a positive or negative result obtained in 15 minutes. If a horse is exposed to the Equine Influenza Virus a positive result can be obtained as soon as 3-days after the initial infection.

There is no reason why a Vet or someone experienced in dealing with horses cant take a nasal swab or aspirate and do the testing themselves for around $20-25. I am quite happy to talk to anyone who is interested in this concept. It wont stop the spread however it will at least enable confirmation and isolation of horses that have contracted Equine Influenza (positive result) sooner than other modes of Diagnosis and also help reassure owners that a horse in an at risk area that has been kept isolated does not have Equine Influenza .

Steve McMaster
Product Manager - Infectious DiseasesInverness Medical Professional Diagnostics
Ph: 1300 559 032 Mob: 0423 567 470 Fax: 1300 559 053e-mail:- stephen.mcmaster@invmed.com

Joint Press Conference with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, The Hon Peter McGauran MP, Sydney

Interview Transcript - 02 September 2007

E&OE...

PRIME MINISTER:

Ladies and gentlemen, we've called this short news conference to announce that the Government has decided to establish a full, independent inquiry into the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia in August of 2007. The inquiry will be conducted by the Hon Ian Callinan QC, recently retired as a Justice of the High Court of Australia. The inquiry will have full powers to subpoena witnesses and, if thought appropriate, conduct public inquiries and any legislation required to invest the inquiry with that power will be introduced into Federal Parliament when it reconvenes the week after next. The inquiry will fully examine the investigation now being carried out in internally by AQIS and any other relevant material and documents and its powers of subpoena will extend to documents as well as the attendance of individuals. The Government is very concerned at the impact of this outbreak on the racing industry. The racing industry is of huge significance to this country. It employs directly and indirectly tens of thousands of people and we are very conscious that what has happened over the past few weeks has had a very adverse affect on many people in the industry, especially in New South Wales and Queensland.

We've already announced an emergency relief fund of $4 million, we will provide more assistance to the industry to help those people who are particularly affected by the downturn. There are many people in this industry who are quite low paid, the high profile members of the industry don't fall into that category but there are thousands of very low paid people in the industry and we're concerned about their situation. Many of them will be affected through absolutely no fault of their own. We are examining a number of areas of assistance including that of a wage subsidy not unlike the one that was introduced in the wake of Cyclone Larry in north Queensland last year. The Minister, who might I say has handled this issue with great skill on behalf of the Government is getting advice on various options and we will be in a position in a few days to announce further assistance measures for the industry. We are determined to find out what happened, how this disease was introduced, whether there's been a breach of quarantine procedures and protocols. Quarantine is critical to an island nation such as Australia and we're therefore not going to leave any stone unturned. Ian Callinan is a person of impeccable reputation in the legal profession, he'll conduct a very forensic and searching inquiry. He'll take whatever time is appropriate, he will be able to investigate every aspect of it. There'll be no road blocks, he'll be able to require people to give evidence, produce documents and he'll conduct public hearings if he regards that as being necessary.

We want to find out what happened and we want the racing industry and people generally to be assured that if there has been a lapse of quarantine protocols, it won't happen again and the Minister and I will be happy to answer any questions. Any technical, really technical ones I'm sure Mr McGauran will do a far better job of answering than I could.

JOURNALIST:

You say that Ian can take as long as necessary, do you, do you have any idea of how long it...

PRIME MINISTER:

Look, I'm not going to try and put a time on it, that's a matter for him. I mean, we're neither going to hustle him or delay him. I mean, that's up to him, I don't know. Obviously there's a lot of people to be talked to. I've heard reference, and Peter might want to add to this, of 100 people at least requiring to be interviewed.

McGAURAN:

The AQIS investigative team have identified up to 100 people who need to be interviewed and statements corroborated and explored. In addition the epidemiologists tell us this is an amazingly complex scientific puzzle and it will be some time and you could not hope to do a proper inquiry under a matter of a number of weeks but far from saying that the weeks might run into months, I no more than the Prime Minister would wish to constrain Justice Callinan.

JOURNALIST:

If the public inquiry finds that there has been substantial breaches of quarantine, will that open the door for legal action?

PRIME MINISTER:

Look I don't have, and you wouldn't expect me to have, any comment to make on that. Let the inquiry fall where it may, that's the whole purpose of having an independent public inquiry, it will fall where it may and we want to know what happened and when we know the results of the inquiry then is the time for people to examine the implications of it but I'm not going to answer hypothetical questions on that.

McGAURAN:

Justice Callinan, apart from being a jurist of the highest order and recognised throughout Australia and the world for his distinguished legal service is, has also been a chairman of the Queensland TAB and has retained a keen, or at the very least interested observation of the racing industry so he comes to this inquiry with a good background in all of the complexities and diversity of the racing industry.

Todd Burns

MISINFORMED MEDIA REPORT

This morning I was shocked to read a report in a large SA regional newspaper ‘The Border Watch’ with the headlines RACING BOOST AS HORSE BAN ENDS.

Once again this type of reporting gives a message to the general population that the EI breakout only effects racing and now the so called ban is lifted racing can resume as normal.

Not only is this headline incorrect, it is irresponsible reporting, it gives a clear message to the average so called ‘recreational’ horse owner that the ban is over and they are free to do whatever they want with their horses. When the rest of Australia’s horse industry is crippled and the recreational horse owner is desperately trying to follow DPI orders to try and eradicate EI, the mainstream media have no idea of the situation or the effect it is having on the horse industry as a whole. They need to get the message right before placing ill informed headlines that could make a bleak situation even worse.

S Watson
SA

How Is This Spreading!

Flies would seem very likely.I would add ducks as a likely transport mechanism. We like mostproperties have a dam and transient population of wild ducks. The duckslove the horse poo and do a great job of breaking it up and spreading itaround. The virus is reportable lasts for 18 days in water.If you have visits from wild ducks, are on a water course I expect it isas likely as any airborne drift to be a means of spread.

Regards,
Rodney Butler

My horse is stuck in quarantine too!

My horse is in the same quarantine station as the pony stallion belonging to Joan Bell. We moved here to Victoria in July from England and having made the huge decision to bring my horse with me I had felt it was the right one.Unfortunately I am now regretting that decision, however it cannot be reversed. Like her I was very excited at seeing " Merlin" on Wednesday 15th August only to receive the fated phone call from IRT on the Tuesday telling me of a problem. He is an event horse and my horse of a lifetime. I sold everything I could in the UK to afford his airfare and I am very worried that I cannot afford a huge quarantine bill. I am also concerned about what will happen when these horses are eventually released from their quarantine as I do not know where I can put him if the movement ban is still in place. We have spoken to various departments and understandably no one can give us much help at the moment. I have also spoken to his groom in quarantine and she assures me he is OK. Having been vaccinated since a foal he has had no symptoms and is coping with the confinement, however he has lost a lot of condition and muscle as they are not exercised at all. I have given up all hope of seeing him again this side of Christmas and may even then have to sell him to pay his bill!

Questions have to be answered as to how a horse got through the quarantine system as a carrier of this virus so that if the disease free status is recovered, this will never happen again. It is a huge worry and concern hanging over us, in what is otherwise a wonderfully exciting and fun time. More than anything I just want to see my horse again. At least I know that at the moment he is being well cared for.

Ruth Webb

Now I can't Get Home!

I read with interest the articles on the Horse Deal site how people at different showgrounds around the country want to go home, and the pony stallion the new owners cant get out of quarantine. I thought you might be interested in my situation.

I came to Germany with my horse for the World Young Dressage Horse Championships. Competing overseas was something that only happened to other people, but here we are and now I can't get home!

The quarantine for my horse was booked to start on 26/8/07. That did not happen. Sue Bennett, from Crispin Bennett has tried to get information, to keep myself and others in my situation up to date, nothing is available. I need to have some idea how long before my horse can return, home.

Would it be possible to set up a temporay quarantine centre to allow horses from countries with no current disease problems to return home? I would be happy to take reponsibility for the chance of him catching EI although vaccinated.

I had a budget for my dream trip, and the stress related to the unknown, which includes when my horse and I can return home and how I will finance this enforced stay, is starting to mount.

Here in Germany, vaccination is used to control EI. As I understand it, all competition horses and horses at the large riding schools have to vaccinate, the small centres can please themselves, however it appears most choose to vaccinate.

If there is an outbreak it is easy to contain and is over in about two weeks. If Australia started with a vaccination program when it was clear how rapidly this was spreading, there could be some answers to the questions being asked!

My horse was vaccinated to come to Germany, the two injections cost $100, not much when you look how much the present situation of the stand still is costing, everyone from the big studs, trainers, to the small one horse owner and the side show workers, farriers, the list is endless. Not only is the cost monetary, but also the stress of treating sick horses and even waiting to see if or when you are going to get it. It also affects the horses that were working for a future show or other event as those plans are now out the door, not to mention all the hard work and money involved in getting a horse into peak condition.

In this age of international travel for horses as well as people, I feel we need to move with the times!

I would very much like to know some time frames.

One more thing, back home I manage a thoroughbred stud, all 116 horses have Equine Infuenza. Im sure everyone there would have prefered that they were vaccinated. It's an added stress knowing the staff are dealing with that and I'm not there.

Thank you,

Dianne White

My Irish Draught colt and Billy

Re Joan Bell and her Riding Pony Stallion. My Irish Draught colt is also with "Billie" - I know how she feels - it isso depressing and frustrating.

Muriel Plater
Fiddlers Green Irish Horses
Gloucester NSW

How Is This Spreading!

I heard comment this week about EI being spread by insects and kangaroos, and seeing comments here I really believe this is happening. This thing is spreading really fast, faster than the DPI can act, but that is not hard. My view is flies will be rapidly spreading this virus now that we are having warmer weather conditions. And can anybody quarantine flies, and put in a stand still on flies....... Also we are still moving cattle, along with the cattle come flies which may well be transmitting this virus. How many times have you got in your car and driven off home with a fly........ Not just kangaroos, any marsupial could be spreading this disease....
Yesterday our shire was in the grey zone and we got a little bit excited... Maybe we can ride a horse, who is in yards on the other side of a no thru road and has been there since 21 August, across the 50 foot of road, to her usual paddock and be able to use her for stock work on adjacent properties.

But today we have been put in the red zone and I have just spent 2 hours applying for a permit which I feel will be a total waste of time. But nobody stopped us from parking next to a truck load of cattle at the local servo! If those cattle had come from an infected area around Rosewood given the length of time we have been told the virus can survive for, and a fly from this truck got in our vehicle and came home with us.... Well, there you have it we could have spread this virus!!!!! OK none of this has been scientifically proven but maybe fly control is something else we should be doing to try and stop the spread until the Government allows us to vacinate! Christine

TO ANY ONE LEADING THE CHARGE.

You out there, how about you start to take notice of which direction you are heading with EI. IT IS ALL DOWNHILL AND GETTING WORSE FOR THE REAL PEOPLE WHO ARE EFFECTED. Forget about the racing members of the public, who are controlling your every move, start to face this virus head on, from the front line. Stop chasing it's ARS and watching where it is going. How about using the only method of control that makes any sense, REMOVE THE HORSES IN ITS PATH, AND SEE IT DO A TAIL TURN ON ITSELF.

Listen to real people, who have real ideas on what to do. Take a broad band of horses out of its path, stop this thing before you let it KILL most of Australia. I own competition horses, not pleasure horses or companion horses as YOU refer to them as. I own a horse which is qualified to go to the Olympic Games. He is safe in Victoria at the moment, but what good is that to him if he can't campaign for his spot in the team??? Your Victorian border crossing protection is non existent, so his safety is in grave Danger thanks to your pathetic, chasing its tail method of attack. Take a long hard look at yourself, and realize the danger you are subjecting the honest, hardworking, horse caring competition owners and riders of Australia.
Sarah Allen Arthur's Creek Victoria.