Horse flu spreads to farm in south NSW

There has been a setback in the fight against the further spread of equine influenza in New South Wales.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries says two horses on a farm at Barmedman in the state's south have been confirmed positive for equine influenza.

The property between West Wyalong and Temora is in the previously disease-free green zone.

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Eradication - What is it ?

There is a lot of hope and determination for ”eradication” and regain EI “free” status.

Can someone please explain what this means?

It sounds to me like a dream.

A significant proportion of the NSW horse population now infected. I have read that only Iceland and NZ are now free of EI. There are regular or occasional outbreaks in countries even with vaccination programs . In relatively small island countries like say Ireland or the UK why is it they cannot “eradicate” it to be EI free. It would seem to me to be a much simpler task in Ireland than Australia.

Are we chasing an impossible dream.

Can we eradicate or will regular/occasional outbreaks continue?

I am not suggesting to let it free but working realistically toward harm minimization which can only mean a large scale vaccination and registration program.

I am amazed that the racing industry has been taken by surprise and was not prepared. It would seem that for such a big business there has been so little risk assessment, foresight or preparation.

Rodney Butler

Rosehill Outbreak

I was wondering if this thought has occurred to anyone else. The thoroughbred and racing industry has complained the longest and loudest about the effects of the equine flu outbreak and keep saying how much it's costing them. So much so that they have succeeded in receiving preferential treatment even though their horses brought it in. But despite all the money that they say it's costing them, millions of dollars they say, they can't police their own racetracks. Rosehill isn't the first racetrack to have contracted the disease through humans. I can't believe that they haven't spent the money and now run those racetracks like a concentration camp to make sure that every single person follows the biosecurity measures. They can only blame themselves.
Helen

Decision Made

We have currently got 5 horses on a bare block. Drought has made sure there is no feed on the ground. We also own one in the red zone on free lease that currently is just incurring money spent on it without the leasee getting any use of him.

We are in the green zone though so can move them if we can find somewhere.

2 of these horses are old. One is my sons 35 yr old pony who is getting to the end of his life span. Often he just lies down because he is old and tired. The other oldie is my 24 yr oldo who would not come through the flu either. He is older than his years due to his first 3 having been spent in starvation and abuse.

The decision has been made, hard as it is, that if the flu comes they will both be put down to save them the pain and suffering that would come with it. We highly doubt that either would come through even with excellent vet care.

We also need to be realistic on the finances. We would be spending large amounts on our other horses. We know there will be vet bills for our horse in the red zone, we cannot expect the leasee to cover them really or ethically.

This flu is going to be the death of not only the expensive horses, but the golden oldies.

Sherril-lea QLD

IPSWICH MEETING

Just thought you may like to know that one important result that was extracted (after a lot of procrastination) from our dearly beloved head Ministers and Vets etc. that were presiding over the meeting at Ipswich is:
$60 million has been allocated for the EI eradication, and $15 million has already been used.

When the funds are exhausted, it has been bandied around by Govt that all horse owners will have to register their horses and pay a $10 (one off) registration fee, I assume Australia wide, to compensate the Govt for their losses.
Ironic isn’t it when it was the Govt who allowed all this to happen in the first place by contracting out Eastern Creek to persons who were incompetent at their jobs.
THE FOLLOWING IS MY OWN THOUGHTS ONLY:

"Part of the registration process will then lead to mandatory micro chipping, which will in turn lead to no chip, no movements. Basically the horse industry will be similar to NLIS cattle scheme".

PS Just a quick mention that I didn’t know until yesterday - the EI virus can stay alive on your nasal hairs for THREE DAYS not the one day that I was led to believe. I now use Tea Tree Oil on a cotton bud and wipe inside my nose and ears, after being out somewhere, besides washing hair, body and all clothing straight away and disinfecting car including tyres, door handles, steering wheel, blinker switch, gear stick and seats.

Janine the vet who was at Morgan Park for the whole duration said to me yesterday that it was the worst disease that she had ever seen and it totally amazes her why anyone would want to willingly infect their horse with the virus.

And just another note, secondary infection is caused by the silia (hairs in the trachea) being killed in the onset of the disease. Sometimes apparently they do grow back but once you have had EI you will probably have a consistent hacking cough each time you begin to work. She advised me to not work the horse for a good six months after infection to assist in their recovery.

Wonderful legacy isn’t it?

Janice

EI Horse Industry Forum at Ipswich, Queensland

The EI Horse Industry Forum held at Ipswich Showgrounds on October 6 was attended by several hundred concerned members of the pleasure horse industry. Called by Arabian horse breeder, exporter and endurance rider Peter Toft, the meeting heard talks from the Qld veterinary community; the Director General of DPI & F representing the Qld Government; Mike Horan Shadow Minister for DPI & F in Qld; and representatives from Biosecurity Qld, and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Services.

The meeting lasted four and a half hours and finished on a very inconclusive note with regard to useful information and long term effects to the pleasure horse industry.

The minutes from this meeting will be available for viewing on this Blog by next wednesday morning 10 October and also on the Horses and People website - www.horsesandpeople.com.au.

Kind Regards,
Annie Minton
horses and people magazine

Moving Vaccinated horses

After 6 weeks of doing the right thing, not moving horses, taking correct biosecurity measures, etc. I have now had horses moved next door to me(touching my horses over the fence) that have just been vaccinated. Contrary to the what the DPI site says about NOT moving horses that are recently vaccinated, someone decided to grant them a permit. They are now in a highly horse populated " clean "area.

No wonder we cant get any straight answers from the DPI, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.(although some of us think we know). If us with "pleasure horses" aren't important enough to vaccinate, why do we have to bother with the standstill - they are quite prepared to let our horses get sick, just not yet, lets protect the race industry first. The horses that have moved into my neighborhood are 2 year olds. They havent even started their race career yet, nor are they likely to anytime soon. Yet they are important enough to vaccinate. According to everyone I speak to-including vets, it is now only a matter of when, not if my horses get sick.

Thanks for nothing DPI

Narelle

Human Error A Concern.

Australian Horse Industry Council President, Barry Smith is concerned with the part human error has played in the spread of EI. “Although it is very early days, I am encouraged that the increase of infected properties and horses seems to be flattening out and that the disease is contained within designated areas. However, it is critical that people remain vigilant regarding their bio-security and do not inadvertently spread the disease.

“I think we are a long way down the track of managing the disease fairly well. It is circulating in the Red and Purple Zones in NSW and Queensland, but it is still confined to those areas. The supplementary vaccination of horses in the buffer zone is added insurance that the disease remains contained. I think the buffer vaccination was done as soon as was possible due to the availability of the preferred canary pox vaccine, which the experts say is the best vaccine for this situation.

“The aim is eradication, as we don’t want to have to live with this disruption in any part of the horse industry ever again. One of the great advantages of having horses in Australia is that we do not have to cope with a great many diseases they have in the rest of the world and we can move without restriction. If EI became endemic in Australia, it would change forever how everyone in the horses industry would do business.

“For the authorities to have contained the disease in a relatively small geographic area is a significant development six weeks down the track. It is important that people fully understand the disease and common sense needs to prevail”.

Now the flu is about to hit the Diva and her little boy

MIGHTY mare Makybe Diva and her seven-week-old foal are expected to contract equine influenza by the end of the week.

Coolmore Stud general manager Michael Kirwan said the epidemic struck the Hunter Valley property last week.

He said the triple Melbourne Cup winner and her foal - a bay colt by Galileo valued at more than $3million - were not infected by the flu, but "it won't be long before they get it".

Read more.

Australia buys up horse flu vaccine

Biosecurity Queensland says Australia has now purchased every available dose of horse flu vaccine in the world.

Queensland's chief vet, Ron Glanville, says more than 6,000 doses of horse flu vaccine will be administered across the state's south-east this morning and thousands more will be delivered by tomorrow morning.

Read more.

Peter Horobin Dressage Championships

Peter Horobin dressage
Championships 14th October 2007.

We are still taking entries and will do so until Tuesday 9th. We will
complete the draws then and due to time constraints, forward to you and
place on Horse Deals website.

We do have the bio security forms that we can forward to anyone that
enquires.


Kind Regards
Julie Scott

Ph/Fax: + 61 (0) 3 5977 6008 

Fears over vaccine safety

A BATCH of 4800 vials of modified equine influenza vaccine was withheld at a Brisbane scientific centre due to fears it could have been compromised by poor storage.

Dr Ron Glanville, chief veterinarian at the Department of Primary Industries, confirmed the vaccine could not be distributed from the Wacol centre.

But vials sent from Sydney overnight, after importation from France, may yet be declared safe for use, pending more testing.

"The live vaccine has to be maintained at a temperature between two and six degrees," Dr Glanville outlined.

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Humans spreading horse flu: McGauran

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran says human error is to blame for the most recent outbreak of equine influenza at Sydney's Rosehill race track.

Mr McGauran says the latest outbreak is a serious setback for racing in Sydney, but he is hopeful race meets will resume by the end of the year.

Read more. You will find two video links also.