Where should the prorities be ?

In the AUSVETPLAN for equine influenza it states quite clearly and I quote from page 16

It is estimated that at least 70% of the exposed horse population must be adequately vaccinated to prevent epidemics, and that over 80% of the population must be immune, as a result of vaccination or natural infection, for eradication to be possible.

It also states and once again I quote, from page 39

In 2001, the number of Australian thoroughbred and standard bred racehorses was estimated to be about 60 000 (P Ellis, Australian Racing Board, pers comm, 2001) and to comprise very roughly 10% of the Australian horse population (excluding feral horses).

Seems to me that to reach that "over 80%" figure there is an urgent need
to vaccinate a lot of horses that are not racehorses or is the intention to allow these other horses to contract EI so as to have some immunity .

While I can understand the racing industry pushing it's own barrow , I hope
the preferential treatment they are receiving with vaccine allocation is not
at the expense of the overall aim of eradication of this outbreak.

And last (as usual) but not least I hope the other 90% of horses don't get
hung out to dry by those making the decisions.

m.j. Horse Deals Reader

Ignorance and hysteria more dangerous than EI.

It hasn’t taken much for the horse industry to start tearing itself apart.
Claims of unfairness and favouritism because one sector has been better at lobbying than another.

Does ANYONE actually think this helping to stamp out EI

There are dedicated people like the local vets, SES volunteers, horse industry people working themselves into ground for the sake of ALL horse owners. But it seems there are some people happy to throw their hands in the air and say just let it go and bugger the rest of Australia.

There is also a dangerous outbreak of instant experts in horse forums right across Australia–who knew we had so many bloody exotic disease specialists in Australia!

The amount of misinformation and outright garbage that has been bandied about as the great one solution for this outbreak is very disappointing. THINK about the damage you are doing in the horse communities when you mouth off with nothing to back it up.

Well to use another’s phrase WAKE UP PEOPLE!

There is NO instant fix
This disease will take time to control
It will take concerted effort by EVERYONE.
ALL horse owners need to work together.

There was one ‘so -called" manager of an agistment property on TV tonight complaining that DPI hadn’t turned up to set up foot wash station on his property. What the! Who are these lazy sods? Get out and set up your own biosecurity.

Stop playing victims and get off your backsides and DO YOUR BIT
Joan McSpadden

HORSE INDUSTRY FORUM IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS SATURDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 2007. 1.00 PM

EQUINE INFLUENZA CRISIS HORSE INDUSTRY FORUM IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS SATURDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 2007. 1.00 PM AGENDA ·

• HOW IS THIS DISASTER TO BE MANAGED·
• WHAT DO WE WANT AS AN INDUSTRY ·
• WHO CAN REPRESENT ALL STAKE HOLDERS ·
• CREATE BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HORSE INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT·
• VETERINARY INFORMATION·
• DPI INFORMATION·
• AN ALLIANCE TO UNITE THE HORSE INDUSTRY ·
• INDUSTRY CONCERNS ATTENDANCE FROM THE RED ZONE IMPORTANT STRICT BIO-SECURITY MEASURES WILL NEED TO BE ADHERED TO – REFER TO THE DPI WEBSITE

THE FORUM IS BEING ORGANIZED BY PETER AND PENNY TOFT: CONTACTS: toftendu@gil.com.au * TO RESOLVE THE EQUINE INFLUENZA CRISIS WE NEED TO UNITE THE HORSE INDUSTRY.

Walking in the footsteps of local vet

Louise Fitzroy

As suspected cases of equine influenza continue to rise, vets are working tirelessly to test horses for the virus and keep the spread under control.

Andrews Speers, a private vet in the New England north-west, says he's had just two days off in the last month and is usually called out to seven properties a day.

"I would say that we're going to be seeing fresh cases for the next six to 12 months across the region."

He says the actual testing doesn't take long itself, but it's the paperwork and decontamination that makes each visit an hour long process.

"What we're going to do is take a blood sample from him and also take two nasal swabs, and it generally takes 48 hours for those test results to come back. At times we've been pushed out to seven days. You can notice that he's flaring his nostrils a bit.. it's generally just the first signs of seeing it. Sometimes they can get sore neck muscles, just because of the coughing and with discharge they can get a sore throat. We may be wrong, but I've sampled well over 100 and of those I've had three horses come back negative."

Mr Speers says the paperwork that follows the testing is crucial to find out if anyone's been onto the property, if the horse has left the farm or if any gear used by this horse has been taken elsewhere.

He says he's waiting to receive compensation for more than a month's work.

"We're having a little bit of difficulty, because we've been going for over a month now and we still haven't got any recompense for the work we've done. I did 19 days straight, then I had two days off, and now I'm back up to 11 days in a row. This morning I had to rush through five surgeries and a couple of consults to get out here, and just as I was leaving there was a mare that was foaling. I'm hoping that one of our other clinicians has been able to go and deal with it."

http://www.abc.net.au/rural

Horse flu reaches Dubbo racetrack

Equine influenza has spread to the Dubbo race course, in central western New South Wales, threatening the likelihood that any races will be held this year.

Read more.

Iemma Government Relief and Recovery Package for Racing Industry

02 Oct 2007
The Iemma Government will provide an additional $7.5 million in direct assistance to the stricken NSW racing industry to help it recover from the effects of the devastating Equine Influenza outbreak, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald and Gaming and Racing Minister Graham West said today.

Minister Macdonald said the Relief and Recovery Package would come on top of the estimated $8.3 million the Iemma Government would spend on containing and eradicating horse flu.
“The State Government is coming to the aid of the racing and equestrian industries as investigations into how the exotic disease slipped through Federal quarantine continued,” he said.

Minister West said the package demonstrates further support for the recovery of horse racing industry.
Key details of the Assistance Package are:

$3.5 million in New Industry Assistance to ensure the ongoing viability of the Thoroughbred and Harness Racing industries. The fund will be allocated following submissions from Racing NSW ($2.5 million) and Harness Racing NSW ($1million)

$1.2 million in grants of up to $2000 per household for eligible workers in the racing industry such as stable hands, strappers and others.

$2 million in unclaimed Keno prize money to be used to establish a Capital Grants Program to help regional and rural race clubs across all three codes.

$500,000 to the Greyhound Racing Industry in recognition of its carrying the bulk of racing during the crisis.

$300,000 to the NSW Equestrian industry to help stage a series of major events.
Minister Macdonald said the new package was on top of the $525,000 Horse Industry Promotion and the special mortgage assistance program ($12,000 per loan) already announced by the Government.

“This assistance package will help alleviate some of the damage caused by the horse flu outbreak while also investing in the long term future of racing in NSW,” Minister Macdonald said.

“The Iemma Government has worked hard with the industry to put together a package which helps those most affected by the horse flu outbreak through no fault of their own.”

Minister West said the package will provide for industry assistance and maintaining employment in areas not currently covered by the Federal Government package.

“This package will ensure ongoing employment by helping all those who depend on the industry for their livelihoods – for example stable hands and strappers.”

Mr West said the $1.2 million in grants would further assist families most affected by this crisis.
“This is a one-off payment for those that are doing it tough,” he said.

“The Government will provide a one-off payment per household of up to $2000 for people who are directly dependent on the racing industry – for example a track work rider or strapper – and who have insufficient income or cash reserves to get them through this crisis. It will be administered through the Department of Community Services.

“I have also approved the release of $2 million in unclaimed Keno prize money for capital works to help all three racing codes in regional and rural areas.

“The EI crisis has had a terrible impact on many of these clubs and grants of up to $100,000 will now be made available for new capital works projects – improved amenities will hopefully see a bigger turn out for race meets in the bush.”

Minister Macdonald said that while horse owners from Moonbi and near Parkes were being allowed to return to homes in the red and purple zones of NSW today the crisis was far from over.

“I think it’s important to note that while we have worked to contain this disease the Government has also spent about a million a week on stopping the spread of EI,” said Minister Macdonald.

“We have more than 28,000 horses infected on more than 3,100 properties in NSW,” he said.
“Over the Long Weekend we saw the Government initiate the first round in its vaccination program, with another 130,000 shots to arrive in Australia in a week’s time.

“While the State Government works to contain this disease, the Federal Government should be focusing on just how it let the disease get into NSW for the first time.

“I also note the Federal Government Assistance Package will run out on November 16 – I would urge the Howard Government to extend its assistance as a matter of urgency.”

Only some Dubbo horses to get EI jab

02 Oct 2007
Up to 600 local horses in the equine influenza (EI) buffer zone near Dubbo will receive horse flu vaccinations, NSW chief veterinary officer, Bruce Christie, said today.

“Veterinary teams are being deployed to targeted horse properties today and it will take at least seven days to have the buffer vaccinations completed,” Mr Christie said.

“Currently there are eight infected properties near Dubbo, including the first outbreak site near Brocklehurst.

“NSW DPI has established a local vaccination centre at the Dubbo RLPB office and has inducted veterinarians on how to use the vaccine.”

Mr Christie said horse owners in the buffer zone are being contacted to arrange a time for vaccinations to take place.

“We are appealing for Dubbo buffer zone horse owners to register their horses either on-line or by contacting 1800 675 888,” he said.

“I must make it clear from the outset that NOT every horse at Dubbo will be vaccinated.
“Only horses in the designated buffer area will be vaccinated to create a wall of immunity.”
Mr Christie said owners have an option to move their horses under permit from the area to another property in the red zone.

“Owners will receive an offer of $500 per horse to move their horses rather than have them vaccinated,” he said.

“The aim is to have all horses moved or vaccinated and create a buffer to stop the spread local of equine influenza.

“Co-operation from horse owners in the buffer zones is vitally important in the success of this campaign.”

The vaccine will NOT be made available to each and every horse owner in NSW, but will be used for disease control in nominated buffer zones.

Some doses will also go to protect high value, at risk horse populations within restricted areas. Industry representatives are identifying these high value, at risk horses requiring vaccination.
Mr Christie said it was important to note that this vaccine is NOT the silver bullet, or the answer to all the problems thrown up by the EI outbreak.

DPI NSW Equine influenza daily update - 2 October 2007

There are currently 3055 Infected Properties (IPs), 330 Dangerous Contact Properties (DCPs) and 369 Suspect Properties (SPs).

The Consultative Committee for Emergency Animal Diseases has approved the movement of some horses from Moonbi and Parkes today. The horses can move to properties in either the red or purple equine influenza (EI) zones, but cannot return to the EI-free green zone or to the low risk amber zone at this stage. Veterinarians from the NSW DPI are confident that the Parkes and Moonbi horses that will be released have developed immunity to EI and have recovered from symptoms. See the full news story.

The movement of horses from Morgan Park, Queensland, back into NSW Red or Purple Zones has also been approved. Further proof of freedom from disease will be required before horses will be given permission to move into Amber or Green zones. A restricted area has been declared in the Forbes district, around a property which had a horse test positive for EI yesterday.

Vaccination of horses in buffer zones will continue this week. Induction, training and vaccination commenced at Gloucester yesterday, Dubbo is to commence today and Armidale on Wednesday. First round vaccination in the Southern Highlands buffer which commenced on Saturday is expected to be completed today. If you believe you are in a buffer zone in the Armidale, Dubbo or Parkes/Forbes areas, and you haven’t yet been contacted about the vaccination occurring in the zone, please ring the Hotline on 1800 675 888.

The vaccination protocol for each horse includes taking blood samples, nasal swabs and microchipping. We are trying to employ vets from the local area so there is a continuity of knowledge and skills and supplement local people with authorised vets from other buffer areas if possible. Six Forward Command Posts and 2 Outposts (Berry and Dubbo) are being maintained to assist with the vaccination program. Severe fire danger warnings were issued for the Central Western Plains, Greater Hunter and Sydney today. Horses have had to be moved due to a fire near Nelson Bay (Port Stephens). No horse movements were involved in the bushfire incident at Charmhaven (Red zone) yesterday but Rural Fire Service units attending the fire complied with decontamination procedures before leaving the site. In emergencies, NSW DPI has responsibility for animal welfare, and will assist owners in the appropriate relocation of horses.

NSW DPI are urging the public and horse owners to abide by zoning requirements and biosecurity guidelines. The Stock Squad are investigating the alleged breach of quarantine restrictions by a high profile horse owner, and there are a number of pending prosecutions.

Gates open at Moonbi and Parkes EI Lockdowns - DPI NSW

02 Oct 2007
Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, today said some horses in lockdown at Moonbi and Parkes will today be allowed to move to properties in either the red or purple equine influenza (EI) zones.

“However, horses will not be allowed to return to the EI-free green zone or to the low risk amber zone at this stage,” Minister Macdonald said.

“Veterinarians from the NSW DPI are confident that the Parkes and Moonbi horses that will be released have developed immunity to EI and have recovered from symptoms.
“However, further assurance is required before these horses can enter the green and amber zones. The last thing we need is the virus spreading into the EI-free parts of NSW.
“Owners moving horses from Moonbi and Parkes will require a permit from the NSW DPI.”
Minister Macdonald said this is very welcome news for the people at Moonbi and Parkes.
“There is no doubt they will be very happy to return to normal life as quickly as possible,” he said.

“At Moonbi there are 35 horses in lockdown and 32 horses at Parkes and these horse owners have found themselves caught up in the middle of the EI outbreak through no fault of their own.

“It has been more than 35 days since the lockdown was put in place. Many of these people haven’t left their horses’ side this whole time. Their focus has been on the health of their animals.

“I thank each and every one of them for their patience and dedication to see that their horses make a full recovery.

“The NSW DPI is now looking very closely at Centennial Park and the NSW Police horse stables to determine when quarantine restrictions may be lifted.”

Minister Macdonald said that after weeks of testing and observation, the decision was made to allow Moonbi and Parkes horses to move - but only into the red or purple zones and not the EI free green zone or low risk amber zone.

“It has now been more than 30 days since the last horse at both of these sites showed clinical signs of horse flu,” he said.

“We must do everything in our power to keep as much of NSW EI free as possible.
“This means keeping the green zone clean and ultimately growing it into new parts of NSW as our confidence increases that these areas are free of EI infection.”

DPI QLD

Tuesday 2 October: There are currently 601 infected properties (IP's) in Queensland. Equine Influenza is still contained to the Red Zone in the State's South East. Vaccination, as part of DPI&F program of containment is underway.

Influenza

I'm fourteen, I've been riding at gymkhanas, fun days and jumping eventssince I can remember. My mum and I have 6 horses, none of which have beeninfected YET. If the DPI and etc is so certain that all the horses aregonna get the virus, why don't they let it spread quicker so that it getsout of the way quicker?

I know there are probably a thousand million people out there with old horses and such that might not pull through, so they should be the ones who get the vaccination. Surely the younger racehorses wouldn't need it, because they'd be pretty certain to recover from it.It's just a thought, if we're gonna be kept in lock down until ALL thehorses are over it, then vaccinate the older horses and possibly thepregnant mares which are nearly due because they're the ones who aren'tgoing to make it, and let the rest of the horses get it quicker, which isn'tgoing to happen if they're all separated.
Tash.

HEAVY PENALTIES APPLY FOR DELIBERATELY SPREADING EI

People who deliberately spread Equine Influenza (EI) to their own, or any other horses, couldface more than 7 years’ jail and fines of up to $99,000 Victoria’s Acting Chief VeterinaryOfficer, Andrew Cameron, said today.

“I am particularly concerned about media reports that prominent owners and breeders in NewSouth Wales are engaged in a practice known as ‘snotting' or deliberately spreading the virus,”Dr Cameron said.“With nearly all newly-infected properties being found within the proclaimed restricted areas inNSW and Queensland, disease spread is clearly localised and incremental.”“There is also evidence to show that the epidemic is, in fact, declining in parts of New SouthWales.”

“It is clear the strategy of containment is effective and we all need to work together to ensurethis momentum is maintained”

“I understand police in NSW are already investigating these reports and authorities in Victoriawill also act quickly and to the full extent of the law if similar practices are found here.”It is an offence for a person to possess the virus or administer it to horses.“It is vital all people involved in providing services within the horse industry practice goodbiosecurity to ensure EI is not inadvertently or deliberately spread,” Dr Cameron said.“It is also important horse owners ensure service providers follow biosecurity measures whenservices are being delivered to their horses.

”Dr Cameron also reminded Victorian horse owners there were no plans to vaccinate everyhorse in the state.“The 50-day Spring Racing Carnival generates nearly $630 million for the Victorian economyand it will also be the mainstay for punting revenue for most of the country.”

“Vaccination in Victoria will only be available for thoroughbreds as a form of insurance for theCarnival.”

Victorian DPI

Reply again to "What about us"

Reading “What about Us”, I think it is a shame that offence would be taken – I’m sure what Tahla is trying to get across is that the “rest of us” don’t appear to be getting heard – all we hear is about the racehorses and their plight, and that of the racing industry. I’m sure there are many, many caring & wonderful racehorse owners & trainers, but I also bet there are many owners that wouldn’t know one end of a horse from the other, and many trainers don’t exactly handle their horses with care.. anyway, please don’t let this come to blows between “us & them” all horse people should be united in stopping this hideous virus. Just remember what happens with the racehorses after they have finished racing…..

JH

Showjumpers On Hold

The Equine Influenza outbreak has cut a scythe through all things equestrian. Just as the competition season was about to really get under way, it has been cut off at the roots with no sight of regrowth as yet. It is not just a matter of not being able to go to a competition, it is the total standstill that is affecting a great many people. Whilst it is a nightmare and an expensive one at that for those with sick horses, for some the situation is worsened by the halt to carefully laid plans. Olympic horses don’t come along very often and what will amount to a three month (we hope) hiatus in competition will seriously impact on the preparation of domestic Olympic showjumping hopefuls. Although the Olympic Team selectors always have their eye on the competition, the serious run up to the Olympics in Hong Kong next August, was to begin with a Qualifying class (eight penalties or better in the first round to gain an MES) at the 2007 Australian Showjumping Championships, to be conducted at Canberra this month. Also with just four World Cup Qualifiers so far this season and realistically with just one more to take place at Brigadoon in WA on the 20th October, the 2007/2008 season has been dramatically reduced from 13 qualifiers.

Horse Deals caught up with Peter Cooke, member of the Showjumping High Performance Panel and Chairman of Selectors to find out what was being done to minimise the affect EI has had on Australia’s International Showjumping prospects.

“With regard to the World Cup, we are unlikely to have any more qualifiers after Brigadoon. Shepparton have postponed and Wodonga and Sale are meeting next week. What affects the World Cup Qualifiers as well, is that many of the established World Cup horses would not be able to attend the shows. Even here in WA, we ran the Qualifier at Perth, as so many local riders had prepared for it, but we were missing the horses that were still in quarantine after returning from the eastern states. We have advised the FEI that in all likelihood there will only be five qualifiers this season, Sydney Royal, Toowoomba, Brisbane Royal, Perth Royal and Brigadoon. We have been told that the winner after five rounds will be eligible to attend the final in Sweden. Laurie Lever and Ashleigh Drossel Dan were second at Sydney and won Toowoomba and their point score of 35 cannot be beaten, and subject to their being no more Qualifiers, Laurie will go to the Final. Laurie is making every effort to go to Europe and we are supporting him to do so. His time there will also enhance his chance of making the Olympic team.

“There is not doubt the EI has put a big hole in our preparation programme. The original plan was to have a Selectors Series of events starting with the Australian Championships in Canberra, which was also to be a Minimum Eligibility Standard class, then Tempo in December, Sydney Royal in March and the Australian Championships in 2008. (At the time of writing the Sydney Showjumping Club had put forward a proposal to conduct the 2008 Nationals). Of course now we have moved on to plan B. Nothing will happen until the rescheduled Australian Championships in Canberra over the long weekend in January. (Still to be called the 2007 Championships). That show will not be part of the designated Selectors Series, but it will constitute an MES competition. Traditionally only one such class is allowed each year, but the EFA have been in contact with the FEI Showjumping Manager, John Roche, who is very sympathetic to what we are trying to achieve and we may be able to have another MES class. We will then have three Selectors Series competitions, one in February, one in March and one in April. There is also the possibility of going to the New Zealand Horse Of The Year Show in March, if they will have us.

“If all that fails and there are no selection competitions, then the National Selectors will have to do their job from what they know and what they have seen. There are four travel bursaries of $25,000 to help non European based combinations to get to Europe for the two nomination classes there, from which the Olympic Team will be selected. Amongst those vying for the funding are Harley Brown with Cassiato, who is based in California and has been posting some impressive results and Gavin Chester with Warlord, also in the US. The four funded horses and any combination with an MES can present at the nomination shows in Europe. At the moment, Rod Brown and Gilbert Brockman are determining those shows. If an unfunded combination jumps their way on to the team, they will have their travel costs refunded. The European based riders showing good form and who are expected to present for final selection are Edwina Alexander, Matt Williams and James Paterson-Robinson. And of course Laurie Lever will already be in Europe, assisted to some degree by the World Cup funding. We would like about eight horses at the final nomination. Selection will be made following the warm up class and the Grand Prix at both shows. Because of the EI situation here, we would also contemplate assisting anyone from the elite squad if they wanted to go to Europe earlier”.

EI

The following is for EI specific treatment1/2 oz. camphor 2 oz. liquorice powder 1 oz. creosote water 1/2 lb. black molasses 2 oz. slippery elm powder 4 oz. codliver oil dosage :- 30 ml. twice per day .This was used in a quarintine station on horses from the UK, back in the 1800,s.
Best wishes to you all .
Bert

?Cairns infection

In response to the question about the infection being in Cairns the answer is no it isn’t YET! (fingers crossed) But… a horse in Gordonvale (just south of Cairns) initially tested positive and then was proven to be negative for the virus but they kept quarantine around the property just in case. Apparently there was another one in Julia Creek as well. ATM we in the north are clear of EI but given the infectiousness of the disease and the apparent lack of control it may not stay that way. I think I can speak for all other horse owners in the green zone of QLD saying we are thinking of all of you in the red zone and hoping against hope that we stay free of it.

Cheers
Ruby
Nth Qld

Why is this not plastered over the media

I have been reading these pages since they have been published and am becoming increasingly angry and frustrated – it was wonderful to see Tracey Grimshaw on the telly a while back telling the story, but why has there been scarcely a whisper (except of course for all racing related stories) since.

Some of the blogs on this site are big stories – I would have thought the media would grab some of these and make a big deal out of them; has the media been hamstrung, why aren’t these stories being told.

Perhaps it’s just because I’m from southern NSW – Green Zone – maybe you are getting better coverage up north???

I would love to know what I can do to help from down here – I have 5 horses, two of my own, and 3 kids’ ponies, one very, very old who surely would not survive the virus if she contracted it. The lockdown has barely affected us, only thing has been our new pony club which was to have it’s first official rally in September, obviously has not yet got off the ground.

I have sent a letter to the paper, which was featured as “letter of the day”, that was my own small contribution, but really I’m very concerned that all the noise is so far in the background, and the public is not hearing any of this….

Jodi Homer

In Reply to "What About Us"

I'm sorry Tahla, but you are incredibly wrong and misguided about us "racehorse people" not giving a stuff about them. Sure, there are some lowly people out there flogging horses around a racetrack that clearly shouldn’t be, however how many horses do you see starving to death in a paddock owned by so called “horse lovers” who own them purely for “pleasure”??

Tell me, does your horse get chiropractic work monthly?, does he receive a massage monthly? Is he worked regularly and given the best feed, supplements etc to maintain health? Is he in a nice clean stable/yard/paddock by himself so he cannot get hurt? Do you blood test him every few months to make sure all of his levels are correct for optimum health/performance?

Maybe you need to think a little harder before you label us as people that don't care. I own and train race horses and I am a horse LOVER!

KA

DPI Playing God

The good news coming from Morgan Park has been soured this morning with the news that the NSW horses have been denied entry back into NSW, even though they have all been tested and have the EI antibodies in there system. Would this not make these horses some of the most safe in NSW ? apparently not according to the NSW DPI.

Who are these faceless DPI personal making decisions and playing with people lives I guess we will never know as the privacy act wont allow there identification, and in the meantime these people will go home each night and sleep in comfortable beds and receive there weekly wage while the horse owners (those that don’t have race horses off course) will be left to suffer.

LETS START GETTING CRANKY NO ANGRY THIS WILL BE THE ONLY LANGUAGE THESE PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND.

Phil

Equine Influenza

I'm writing about (like so many others) about the disregard for the horses and people who are not involved in the racing industry, and the respective DPI's management of this whole crisis. First the lack of action taken when authorities were already aware that EI had made it on to our front doorstep. Then we were told that vaccination would make it impossible to eradicate the virus. Then we had the ludicrous situation where racing was still allowed to take place as if a racehorse was an entirely different species, using even weaker bio-security measures than those that had failed to contain it to Eastern Creek quarantine station or Morgan Park, and it was going to be enough to stop the spread - well we know the result of that now!

Then after a concerted campaign to tell us how vaccination was never on the agenda - all of a sudden we were told it was, always had been, and ring vaccination was the next plan to stop the spread outwards. Then those precious (and ludicrously inadequate in quantity) vaccines were hi-jacked and racehorses were vaccinated, racehorses that were in pockets or properties which were in the middle of EI hotspots, or surrounded by thousand of perfectly healthy horses. We are now told, tough luck, those thousands of horses, also worth millions of dollars, both in financial and emotional currency, are earmarked to get this disease and hopefully those fully vaccinated racehorses can get back to racing in 8 weeks and happily spread it around the so the rest of the horse world can suffer. And under no circumstances are we to be allowed access to the vaccine.

Many of us would happily import the vaccine and pay for it ourselves to protect our much loved and precious horses, but we will be prosecuted if we do. And our wonderful border security would pick up and destroy any vaccine being imported, it's just a pity that those same authorities relaxed the quarantine laws for thoroughbreds so much that they managed to bring it into the country. In the meantime our Industry is being decimated, and we are being directed by the beauracratic equivalent of the Keyston Cops. The average 8yr old with that precious pony that has become the medias' view of the rest of the horse world, would have had a better understanding of our industry and much better management skills. I have been passionately involved in horses since I was 4yrs old, I have spent 30yrs breeding horses, building up a small but successful stud. I am not eligible for any compensation, and I don't particularly want any, there are much more deserving cases out there that will lose businesses, homes, and they will be lost to the horse industry forever.

What I want is the right to protect my horses from a disease which was allowed in by the very idiots who are now denying me access to vaccines. It won't stop my horses getting it, but it does turn a potential disaster into a sniffle. The vaccines are out there, there is a stockpile in the USA and South Africa, and like all vaccines they have a use by date. It's true that no horse, just like no human, dies of Influenza. They die or are permanently damaged by the secondary infections and complications. The flow on effects when a huge industry like ours which puts so much into the community in both economic and social areas will be massive and horse racing is such a very small portion of it.

I am just an average person getting much less than the average wage. I was that little girl who loved her pony! I dreamed of breeding horses and my dream came true - with the inevitable joys, tragedies and heartaches that brings. But I never believed that a Government or a Govt Dept. could be so inept as to deliberately put my precious horses in harms way when there always was an alternative. We need more vaccines and they need to be made available to everybody in the Red Zone who wants them. Governments and their departments need to realise, that while we don't have a collective voice, we do all have a vote!

Debbie Dekker

$100 Hack Could Determine VICTORIA'S $1 Billion Spring Racing Carnival

This goes to show how much the Reacreational Industry counts compared to the Racing Industry - who do they think will spread EI? The $100 Hack in a Dusty Paddock????

Every Horse Poses Threat
PUBLISHED IN:Herald Sun
WRITTEN BY: Kelly Ryan
October 01, 2007 12:00am


VICTORIA'S $1 billion Spring Racing Carnival hangs in the balance and a $100 hack in a dusty paddock on Melbourne's outskirts could determine if it goes ahead.

Thousands of racing thoroughbreds will have been inoculated against influenza by midweek in a costly response to the threat.

However vaccine flown in from France will not be enough for tens of thousands of other horses and ponies scattered across the state.

Racing Victoria Limited's chief veterinary surgeon John McCaffrey could not predict the consequences of just one horse being diagnosed with equine flu in Victoria in the lead-up to the start of spring racing.

"(Diagnosis) in any horse in Victoria, that will certainly change things significantly," Dr McCaffrey said.

"The response will govern what would happen from there on in."

Interstate horses remain banned from the carnival amid fears of spreading the virus that has crippled the racing industries in New South Wales and Queensland.

Premier John Brumby said it was highly unlikely Victoria would lift its interstate ban.

"This is all about minimising risk to the biggest racing carnival in Australia and one of the biggest in the world," Mr Brumby said.

RVL yesterday began distributing 1500 phials of vaccine to vets to administer to metropolitan-based horses.

Vaccination of horses from Flemington and Caulfield were to begin immediately.

Another 2600 phials due today will be handed out tomorrow to be administered.

Dr McCaffrey said it was inappropriate in Victoria to allow the entry of any horse that posed a risk.

But flu in a local horse would trigger its own problems and could deliver a hit to the carnival.

"It's a little bit hard to predict unless you knew what the circumstances were, Dr McCaffrey said.

"It becomes a hypothetical."

The State Government is spending about $250,000 a day on border security and vaccine injections are said to cost about $100 each.

Horses vaccinated this week will receive intramuscular boosters of the clear fluid about a fortnight after their original shot.

Location of EI

In an earlier letter from Deb Harrip of Toogoolawah she mentioned EI being in Kilkivan Shire. As a resident of this shire I am very interested to know if it has been confirmed here, as we were intending to sell horses in November and need to know our local situation. If we had definate confirmation that it is here it would make life so much easier for us as we cannot get any confirmation from the DPI as to if we will be able to attend this sale. If anyone reading this can confirm this we would be extremely greatful. As nominations are paid we have to continue preping the sale horses until we get some firm knowledge of what is going on.
Christine

CAUGHT IN LIMBO

As a horse owner, I am vigilant in my efforts to keep our horses free fromthe EI, as the virus has spread VERY quickly through our area, TheMinden-Rosewood area has one of the highest amounts of infected propertiesand I expected the worst, every day I thought ,TODAY, today they wouldprobably be infected, thinking that my own BIO-SECURITY process would be invain.

At this very moment they have not shown any signs or symptoms of thevirus, (which is a good thing). So either I am doing the right thing or thevirus has gone around me, past me or over me, infecting all the horses inthe area. Some of these horses are now nearing the end of their infectionand some are over it completely, my question is... WHAT HAPPENSNOW???????????.........

As I am not part of the vaccination program, do I let my horses get infected by a friend’s horse that has it? You see I have fought tooth and nail to keep it off my property ( as we were expected too) but with the understanding that they would be vaccinated against it or they would become eligible for vaccinations later, I have since found that to be untrue, so in the hope that in the mean time they don’t get the virus I was wondering if by delaying it is a sensible idea, with the hot summerweather rapidly approaching, will this make matters worse ? Because fromwhat I believe hot weather can may make horses a lot sicker and put theirhealth at risk of serious illness or worse. I spoke to the DPI & F at thelocal resource centre, they were helpful enough, but beyond what they aretold themselves they are no clearer about the situation regarding horsesthat don’t get infected and because my horses are not part of theThoroughbred racing industry they are not eligible at this point, being apleasure horse in the red zone has its drawbacks. Basically they told me "

THAT I SHOULD WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE BUFFER ZONE IS IN PLACE AND AFTER ALL THE HORSES ARE VACCINATED IN THE ALLOCATED AREA. And to check if I am eligible for the vaccination but as my horses are not high performance horses and I don’t meet the criteria.” This is really not the answer I was hoping for, as I believe that the situation changes every day, and they (the DPI) don’t really fully know themselves. The DPI & F seem tomove the goal posts all the time. So my dilemma is this, I feel that I am ina catch 22 situation, SHOULD I OR SHOULD`NT I bring the virus on to myproperty and let my horses be infected and with treatment let them get itand get over it, sooner rather than later. What would other readers do?Karen

What about Us

Hi guys

I am 16 yrs old and I am a member of Oxenford Pony Club on the Gold Coast. I just wanted to say that what the hell is wrong with the government, Do only the racehorses get vaccinated because they contribute to the amount money the government gets.

What about the thousands of people and their children who just compete for FUN! I havn't ridden my horse for 5 weeks now because I only agist at a small paddock in Oxenford which is not big enough to properly ride in. If this equine influenza outbreak drags on well into next year then where does that leave us? Competing our horses isn't just a hobbie, It's what we do for a life.

And will pony clubs and the competitions even run next year? Because the way I see it if the bloody government pulled their finger out in the first place none of this would have even happened, Australia USED to be known for our excellent quarantine standards but not any more and we can all blame HOWARD for that one. If it wasn't for him we would all be out competing and having fun with our best mates (our horses).

Why shouldn't we be entitled to the vaccines, what just because our horses aren’t important to the government, Why does that matter they're IMPORTANT TO US!!!. My horse is my best mate and I sure as hell don't want to have to see her suffer because of something that’s beyond my control.

Anyway put it this way half the people who own race horses couldn't give a stuff about them as long as they continue to earn money. They don't care about their horses well being, But we do!

So that’s all I’m going to say, but for all us apparently "UNIMPORTANT" people out there I say we should all get together and help put a stop to this cruelty. If the DPI won’t get off their buts and do something about we should, before more of our equine buddies have suffer from someone else’s mistakes. I know we can't physically stop the spread of this disease, but we can help inform "non horsie" people of how this disease really affects us, it's not just a little cold the horse quickly get over, it's a potentially dangerous disease that can put a horse out of work for a long time and in severe cases it can prove fatal to our faithful companions.
Thanx Guys, Tahla

NSW horses from Morgan Park can't cross border

After just reading an article stating that even though the Warwick Lockdown has been lifted, horses from NSW can not cross the border yet to return home, i thought i'd give Blair Richardson a call to confirm what the latest situation is.
Blair arrived in Warwick last night hoping to be back home in NSW today but is still stuck in Warwick waiting for permits to come through to allow him and his horses to travel across the border.
He said there has been a lot of movement at 'Morgantown' today with trucks, floats, horses and people all leaving but along with him there are 38 horses from NSW that have to wait for permits to come through before they can go home. They can travel to the border but no further without a premit.
The frustrating part for Blair is that they applied for these permits 10 days ago and they had just received a fax asking for information that they had already initially supplied, Interestingly Blair commented that, shuttle stallions can leave Eastern Creek and travel through main towns and highways without a problem. The people at Warwick believe their horses, equipment and cars are the cleanest in Australia due to the decontamination processes they have all gone through and because they have all been infected, so they have 'been there done that' but the cars/trucks that are transporting the shuttle stallions haven't been through a decontamination process and didn't have to get checked when applying for a permit, says Blair. There just needs to be National Standards for the Equestrian Industry as a whole so we can get thru this.
Horse Deals will contact Blair with in the next couple of days to find out how he got on with obtaining a permit

Public Meetings - Horse Flu - in South Australia

These sessions will involve Horse SA and PIRSA.

The idea is to provide people with an update of the situation here in SA and the chance to ask questions.

Dates/venues are as follows:

Evening Sessions - 7pm
Aldinga 4 October Aldinga Community Centre
Mt Gambier 5 October Commodore Motel
Kingscote 8 October Ozone Hotel
Oakbank 15 October Oakbank High School
Strathalbyn 17 October Town Hall
Pt Lincoln 24 October Pt Lincoln Racing Club
Wuddina 25 October Wudinna Community Club

DPI Meeting Tamborine 30-09-07

Hi all

A small group of local people was asked to attend a meeting at the DPI Resource Centre at Tambourine to discuss the EI matters.

Within hours of my requested attendance we got the revised, revised, revised plan that immunisation was no longer an option and they were now going to immunise a buffer zone as defined in yellow on the map.

Given that we have all been given 55 versions of THE PLAN, obviously I was keen to attend this meeting to see what they had to say.

OBSERVATIONS

Qld DPI DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE !!!!!!!
NSW DPI has a much clearer grasp of the situation (an admission by Qld DPI)
Qld DPI believes the government rhetoric that the Race Horse industry must be revived before anything. ( and the general feeling of the rest of us..... well do not hold your breath because you will die)
Many thoroughbred owners are not happy they are being put in the us and them category.
Anger is at boiling point, an observation repeatedly put to the DPI with little effect.
The DPI is in control but requested us to write down what we think they could be doing better. A very stupid question. Naturally they were told.
General consensus, there is no buffer zone and they are doing nothing but saving the governments TAB cash flow.
While the few race horses at the tracks are being immunised some of the largest thoroughbred studs and spelling complexes see nothing. Some of the large Thoroughbred studs in Beaudesert have 600 foals due this season and are in no better position than the rest of us.
The reality is that government is looking after government and what is happening in Qld has nothing to do with assisting the equine industry but is all about playing politics.

The things discussed at this meeting should have been discussed on day 2.
The questions asked should have been asked on day 2.

WHERE TO FROM HERE

Let everyone be real here, the problem is not the disease itself, the horses will get over it. The problem is the economic impact this is having which clearly our government cannot see past its own nose to grasp and the long term ramifications and costs to the equine community if this is not bought under control.
The reaction to this disaster has been slow and ineffectual. The ship has 100,000 people on board and 100 life jackets and is sinking fast.
IT IS TIME WE ACTED
Somehow we need to wake up this government and get them with the programme.
WE NEED EVERY PERSON THAT HAS A BUSINESS INTEREST IN HORSES TO STEP UP AND BE COUNTED.
WE NEED EVERY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN ADVERSELY EFFECTED BY THIS OUTBREAK TO STEP UP AND BE COUNTED.
WE NEED TO BOMBARD THIS GOVERNMENT WITH VOLUMES AND VOLUMES OF IMPACT STATEMENTS
AND WE NEED TO SHOW THEM THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE BEING EFFECTED.

The Toft's made a great start and should be highly commended for their efforts but now is the time for all horse people to rally together and show the government the power in numbers. As was clearly the case with the meeting that Toft's arranged there is heightening unrest in this sector also. We all need to organise a large rally into Brisbane and deliver the impact statements to government house.

What we need from the DPI is real evidence that they know or understand any of this and are approaching this like the true disaster it is and the potential devastation it can reap. Many many people will go to the wall because of this and may never recover. The horse industry as we know it may change for ever unless we act NOW.

If everyone can pass this email on to as many people in SE Qld as possible and print it out for those that do not have access to email and contact me we will be putting together a group to organise a rally as soon as possible. If we wait too much longer I fear there will be no industry to save. This is a state and federal problem and our one saving grace is that there is an election due in the federal arena soon so everyone knows that is the best time to try and get something out of a politician if they think it may keep their seat another term.

Regards and best wishes to us all

Debera Ebbett
Riverdowns Appaloosa (QH) Stud

A young girl's plea to save Freddy

Just one example of the impact that EI is having on everyone, we have reprinted below (with permission) one young lady's plea to the Minister to help protect beloved Freddy.

"Dear Sir,
I am 14 years old. The reason that I am writing to you is because I hear you are under a lot of pressure from the thoroughbred racehorse industry to stop the containment and control of The Equine Influenza so that this industry can resume as quickly as possible. Please don't allow this to happen. I am the proud owner of a 27 year old (He will be 28 next month in October!) little welsh mountain pony. when I was eight I rescued him and saved him . I got treatment for his eyes and saved his sight. He also had foundered very badly but with careful attention we got that right too !
Freddy, taught me to ride and I found out he had taught many other people in the small town in which I live, to ride too. When I got bullied at school, it was Freddy who would listen to me and tell me everything would be alright. Freddy is my best Friend. He is too small for me to ride now and has been for quite a few years ! but I still love him and he loves me. sometimes he can be very naughty and grumpy too. Every Christmas we wash him and put tinsel in his mane and tail and plait him up. He wears a star on his forelock and he looks so beautiful. He goes down the main street in the Christmas pageant.
Because he is old, I don't know if he could survive Equine Influenza. He has had his share of problems. I don't want him to have to go through that and i don't want him to die. I understand the racehorse people want their money. but you know what ? No amount of money in the world is worth risking my Freddy for. and no amount of money would bring him back. Please safeguard all the old horses and all the young foals too. It is not worth the risk. sometimes people just have to be patient and stop being greedy. if we all sit tight for awhile it will be all over and it will be worth waiting for. I know Freddy is worth it.
Thank you for reading this and Freddy thanks you too.
>From Kiya and Freddy"

Supplied by EI Horse Council Industry

Priorities

My 14 year old son has been extremely unwell recently. His Doctor feared that he had Influenza A, the strain of 'human flu' that has recently taken the lives of several children and adults. He had blood taken to test for antibodies to Influenza A, however, the results did not come back as expected.....they did not come back at all! After many phone calls, I got on to the Unit Manager at Gribbles Pathology in Adelaide, where these tests are carried out, and was told that all of the agent used in viral serology had been used to test horses for EI. Gribbles were waiting on an overseas shipment to arrive so that they could run my sons tests.

Unbelievable! Maybe if James had been running in the Melbourne Cup he would have been given higher priority! His results finally came back after 13 days (this should be a 4 day turn around) and he tested positive to this potentially deadly human flu.

Helen

Revenue Raising

My Experience,
Last Thursday 28/9/07 my mare showed symptoms of EI. Long story short - Even though i had heard many stories on what to expect, symptoms etc When i saw my horse behaving abnormally ie: lying down constantly and big full bodied stretches when she was standing my first thought was colic. So called a vet i had never used before (only one I could get out).
By the time he arrived my mare's temp had spiked to over 40 degrees C.

It was obvious my horse had the classic EI symptoms so no testing was required. She was given 20ml Depocillin and 10ml Finidex which settled her within minutes. I was advised that my horse would need some antibiotics to ward off any secondary infections, straight away I asked if that would be Trimidine. The answer was no.

Upon the vet leaving he advised me that he could not take any of the medication off the property so would leave the bottles with me. Later that day i received the vets bill. The two bottles of S4 drugs came to a total of $210.00, I nearly fell over backwards. The total bill came to $377.00

Now I have spoken to over 5 vets from all over QLD seeking independent advice on how they would treat an EI case if it were presented to them and every time with out fail it was Trimidine to fight off any secondary infections and Bute to keep temps down. I attended a meeting in my local community hall with fellow owners of horses with EI, they all have the above listed medication Trimidine and Bute. So why was i advised differently and sold the most expensive option?

I have since purchased Bute and Trimidine which to date has cost me under $100.00 and treats both of my horses.

Is this a case of Revenue Raising on this vets behalf.

To top it off, neither S4 drug was labelled (is this illegal) i had to race into my house to grab pen and paper in order to jot everything down. In a state of stress my mind does not work let alone my memory. Then to my horror after talking with other vets one of the advised dose rates was incorrect, which the vet nurse at the clinic owned by the visiting vet admitted was wrong" his mind must have been elsewhere". Even though i was paying for him to have his mind on my horse!
When I told the same vet nurse the S4 drugs were not labelled she in no uncertain terms told me " he couldn't take two labels off a roll for fear of contaminating the whole roll"! (But he could take a bottle of Depocillin and Finidix out of the carton or the fridge).

So not only am i now refusing to pay for the drugs charged by the vet (am happy to pay for consultation and travel), my next door neighbour had to move interstate as she accepted a new job and committed herself prior to the EI outbreak so i am fulltime carer for her horse. The neighbour next to her decided to leave the rental property and leave their already emaciated pony behind which i am now co-carer for with another neighbour (i have evening shift). And we are paying to feed this starved horse with our own money. It is now an RSPCA case but to date no offer of re-imbursement has been made.

One last comment: To the many (and i mean many) DPI staff i have spoken to in the last two weeks you have been wonderful, in most cases not very informative at all and at times often misleading. I don't blame you, you are only doing your job with what resources you have been given.

But to the bloody idiot or idiots who are in charge of this whole mess - You should hang your head in shame for this nightmare. I can only pray ( and i am in no way religious) that we never ever experience anything worse than we are now. God help us if you allow the likes of Rabies, Foot & Mouth Disease or Bird Flu into this country.

Here's a Thought

From what I have read and heard about this EI disaster, it seems to me that it's spread is unstoppable. Even if you are in a so called 'safe area" IE amber or green zone. Seriously, what is to stop it spreading to those areas? If it can travel airborne what it to stop it crossing over between the zones? If it travels 5-8 kms on a gust of wind what is going to stop it blowing over the border of NSW and Victoria and so on and so on? We are currently in an amber zone but are so close to a restricted zone (red) that it could only be a matter of time before that "imaginary" dividing line is moved.

The only buffer zone I can see is if it occurs around and infected property to the extent of 10kms plus with no other neighbouring horses (including wild horses) In other words no horses for 10 kms between. Pretty hard in some areas that are highly horse populated such as most rural areas.
Lesley

Meeting at Carina

Folks last night I and a few hundred others attended an EI info evening kindly organized by the Manly Rd Vet Clinic. The upshot is this – 1. EI is confirmed at Belmont – this admission only after repeated questioning

2. The vet attending that is working for the DPI said he felt privately we will be in lockdown till Easter next year.
3. They have absolutely no plans to properly assist those of us in the Red Zone who will continue to be infected as we ride out the eradication of this disease.

A very good friend of mine at Hagslea who followed strict bio security from day one and who became infected anyway after the farm across the road got it had his most precious mare go into labour at 2am yesterday morning. Things did not progress and it took him 4 hours to get a vet to attend only to be told the foal was malformed and the mare could not deliver. He rang a Vet hospital and a vet immediately came and attended and then went back to get the necessary equipment.
At 9 am – 7 hours after the mare went into labour he was waiting for the vet to come back to perform an emergency C section in his paddock becuase no vet hospital would take his mare as she was infected.

We need, everyone of us with horses, to contact the DPI, the government and your local vet and tell them that yes we want the disease out but we want access to the same level of vetinary care we would otherwise have given ourselves before EI. We need a dirty hospital in SE Qld – this is the breeding season – mares and foals are rushed to hospital every year with life threatening complications and we want that assurance should the unthinkable happen we will get every service that is needed.

Peter Toft at Minden has lost a mare overnight because he was not able to transport that mare to a vet hospital. Lockdown is one thing, denial of proper vatinary care is a whole other thing!

Please help make a noise and tell the authorities that they need to immediately set in place a proper vetinary care plan for all those hundreds, maybe thousands of horses infected now and still to be infected in South East Qld and that we urgently need a vet hospital made available to our horses.

Janice O’Connor
www.comanchelodge.com.au

Kentville Qld

I have 35 horses – 8 pregnant mares and am only a few k’s from an infected property which is downwind from me

EI infected horses are dying because they and their owners are being denied

EI infected horses are dying because they and their owners are being deniedaccess to Equine Hospitals!

This was on OzArabs this morning:
Last night I attended an EI meeting at Carina that was organized by the Manly Road Vet Clinic. EI is confirmed at Belmont by the way.

The upshot is this - the DPI reps were very evasive but they are intending that the lockdown will stay until the disease is proved eradicated and for this they will NOT do a widespread vaccination inside the buffer zone. They are only just beginning that buffer vaccination program and expect it to take two weeks for the first round.

When pressed the private vet who has been contracted to the DPI to oversee the Tambourine area is that he felt this will go to EASTER next year.

Wayne's mare Sacha went into labour yesterday morning at 2am and after several hours he managed to get a vet to be told the mare would be unable to deliver .I spoke to a very gutted Wayne at 9 yesterday morning and he was waiting - 7 hours after the mare started labour - for the vet from Anstead vet hospital to come back to perform a ceasar in his paddock because NO vet hospital will take the mare as she is infected.

A totally gutted Peter Toft spoke late at this meeting - he has 501 horses ill - and at the time of the meeting he had 3 horses on drips with 3 vets attending and all 3 should have been in a hospital. Again NO hospital is available to infected horses. This morning on the ABC news is a report that one of those mares had to be put down.

This is blatant cruelty and we the owners are being made to not only watch but participate in the highest form of neglect of our horses.

Pass this message around guys and gals and make a very big noise - anyone of us could be next -

WE MUST HAVE A CONCERTED AND PLANNED APPROACH TO THE VETERINARY CARE OF ALL HORSES AND IN PARTICULAR INFECTED HORSES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AND OF THE ERADICATION PLAN. WE MUST HAVE ACCESS TO VETS ONSITE AND TO A HORSE HOSPITAL IN SOUTH EAST QLD.

EI might not kill but lots of other complications do.

We all need to immediately get onto our own vets, politicians, the DPI and demand that they set up a proper system to give proper veterinary care to all horses infected and this must include a 'dirty' hospital. This is the very minimum that should and must be done - the very least!

We can stand the lockdown for the good of all but we WILL NOT STAND FOR BLATANT NEGLECT AND CRUELTY TO OUR HORSES!

Deliberate transmission of EI?

Went to see the vet yesterday and stocked up on bute and penicillin. He had just arrived back from an EI conference. He said the plan is for all horses within the red zone to contract EI and for it to stop at the 10km buffer zone. Firstly, cases in Narangba and the Kilkivan Shire are more than 10kms from the nearest declared IPs, so a 10km buffer zone is obviously insufficient, secondly, if that's the plan why not allow us free range within the zone? Would get it over with much more quickly, and everyone (farriers, dentists, trainers, coaches etc) would be able to work again (while their horses are well, anyway) and sell horses within the zone. Then only the road crossings into the green zone would need to be patrolled.
I guess there would be an uproar from people saying the dpi deliberately caused their horses to get it, but isn't that what will happen anyway?

There is also the argument that if our horses contract the disease in summer and have over 40 temps on over 40 days chances of recovery are much slimmer, so sooner would be better than later.

I do think that the vaccinating of TBs and Trotters who are young, fit and healthy is unfair, when we have mares with foals and due to foal and elderly horses and horses with health problems who are much more at risk. I have appealed for vaccines for 'at risk' horses on my property, but at this stage have not heard back. Will we continue to receive batches of vaccines from overseas after the buffer zone and priority horses are done so there is still a chance of receiving it before our horses contract EI, or is that all that we can source?

Deb Harrip
TOOGOOLAWAH

Pregnant mare dies of horse flu in Qld

An Arabian horse infected with equine influenza has died in south-east Queensland, in what is believed to be the state's first death linked to the virus.
The pregnant mare was put down earlier tonight and its unborn foal could not be saved.
Owner Peter Toft says the horse had been suffering for two weeks on his Marburg property just west of Brisbane.

Read more.