KEEPING EQUINE INFLUENZA OUT OF AUSTRALIA

The Sydney Morning Herald has published two articles today which raise a number of issues about our quarantine management.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/horseracing/minister-fobbed-off-flu-alert/2007/11/02/1193619145628.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/horseracing/the-cough-that-stopped-a-nation/2007/11/02/1193619145658.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

These articles are about the past. I want to look at the possibility of greatly improving quarantine procedures for our future protection against equine influenza (EI) being introduced to Australia again.

We have been free of EI for many years because it did not survive the boat trip to Australia. The infection would have burnt itself out on the long journey before the horses arrived. Since the introduction of air transport of horses, EI has always been the big infectious disease threat to Australia’s horses.

The protocols used by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) have not been substantially altered since we started flying horses into Australia. There are two areas that have improved greatly in the past few years that should be adopted in future.

The first improvement is the availability of better diagnostic tests. For thirty years we have really had only one tool to detect infected horses – the thermometer. Horses have been monitored in quarantine for rises in temperature that might indicate EI infection. Horses often get travel sickness after importation so an increased temperature is not specific for any particular disease. The outbreak of EI in imported stallions in Eastern Creek demonstrates the unreliability of fever as a diagnostic test. Many of the infected horses did not show a raised temperature. They were vaccinated with a killed vaccine which reduced the signs of disease, but they still excreted the virus.

The second tool that was previously used was a measure of the antibody level in the blood. Unfortunately these tests could not differentiate infection from vaccination. AQIS bleed the horses on arrival at Eastern Creek Quarantine Station (ECQS), but have saved the bloods in a freezer. The bloods were not tested unless the horse became ill, when a second test was taken to check for an increase in antibody level which would indicate the presence of infection. Previously a confirmatory test for EI would depend on growing the virus in eggs which is slow, difficult and unreliable.
Better tests are now available. With the technology now developed at the Elizabeth MacArthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) we can test nasal swabs for presence of EI virus overnight. The test used is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) which detects the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of the EI virus. This is the type of test you see the CSI people using on TV! EMAI is running up to 1,000 of these tests daily. This test has allowed the DPI to rapidly diagnose the presence of infection, which makes eradication very feasible.

The second development is the availability of better vaccines. In the past AQIS has required that horses be vaccinated before shipment to Australia, but the killed vaccines were largely ineffective. The horses that brought EI into Australia in August, and those that developed EI, were all vaccinated with a killed vaccine.

The product that is being used in the current outbreak is a genetically modified organism (GMO) vector vaccine. The horses that had been vaccinated with the GMO vaccine did not get flu in ECQS. In addition to providing better protection, the GMO vaccine allows the blood tests to differentiate immunity that results from infection with EI from those horses that are immune after vaccination (i.e. that have not been infected). This differentiation is critical if one is to know precisely where the EI virus has been circulating within the horse herd. This ability to differentiate infected from vaccinated horses will be essential for Australia to provide proof of freedom of EI.

Therefore I suggest that we require all horses that are to be transported to Australia must have a full course of vaccination with the GMO vaccine at a suitable time before entering pre-export quarantine. These horses also must have negative PCR tests prior to them boarding the plane, on arrival into the post-arrival quarantine, and prior to release from the post-arrival quarantine.

These two measures of improved technology, introduced in addition to the other safeguards in our Quarantine policy, will make Australia much more secure against any future introduction of EI.

Rod Hoare
AHIC

It is all very sad.

Yesterday Horse Deals caught up with Sydney Royal Show Councillor, Charlie Hooke, who is also the co-owner and breeder of the prospective Hong Kong Olympic showjumper, Wirragulla Nicklaus. Charlie along with Paul Athanasoff also stand Nicklaus and Wirragulla Hamlet at stud on their property in Dungog, currently in the Red Zone of NSW, two kilometers from the Purple Zone.

Charlie explained; “the whole EI situation is very sad and disappointing. Multi-millionaires are just walking on us, it is all to do with taxes and Government money. The non-racing horse industry does not have a voice. The rules seem to change every week and there is no common sense prevailing, it all seems ridiculous. There is a lot of ignorance in this whole debacle and we do not all seem to be traveling on the same road. People up in the near by hills are just doing what they want, as they think no one will know what they are doing behind the hill, and they have no concern for the consequences of their actions.

“This breeding season we have suspended all operations. We have been fearful that if we got mares in foal and then they contracted EI, they might abort, so we have not really tried except for three mares of our own that all showed positive pregnancy tests, then lost the foals early, we have no idea for what reason. We have not had EI here and the horses all just got vaccinated this week. We have frozen semen stored in the Purple Zone that was collected three years ago, but semen cannot leave the Purple Zone, so we have only sold one serving this season. With the floods earlier this year and now this, it has just been a bad year.

“Here we are trying to prepare Nicklaus we hope to go to the Olympics, but the uncertainty to the future of Equestrian events this season is making it all very difficult. We have been told if competitions starts again in the Purple Zone we should be able to get a permit to move Nic into that zone, the only problem will be, then he can not come back out until the Purple Zone is deemed clear. No one can suggest when that will be. We have the option of taking him to Europe early next year, but with no shows here in Australia it is not the ideal. If they cannot run selection trials here, there is still a doubt as to what combinations will receive funding to travel. There is also the added problem that to travel to Europe you need to have the flu vaccine for Europe and not the canary pox vaccine they are using here. We would like to go to New Zealand in March for the Horse of the Year show, but at this stage New Zealand are saying they do not want Australian horses, riders or jockeys in their country.

“At this stage The Agricultural Societies Council of NSW is recommending their entire member shows do not hold equestrian events. The Sydney Royal Show horse committee meets on the 12th of November to try and make a decision about horse events. We are trying to work around different options; one suggestion is to have vaccinated horses and horses that have EI anti-bodies (horses that have recovered from EI) at the show. However, even that solution has its problems, as vaccinated horses can still get EI and that could result in a lock down. With Nicklaus, I do not think we could take the risk of taking him to the show, as any lock down situation would prevent him traveling overseas for the Olympic Qualifying events.

“At this stage we are just going to keep Nicklaus working at home and after Christmas we will have to make definite plans. On a more positive note Paul has been riding in Hong Kong since the 4th of October. He has been riding a horse of Stuart Mitchell’s and a couple belonging to Kate Chong and has been doing really well. He has won about ten classes and was equal first jumping 7.2ft in a six bar”.

EI Positive?

Never would I have thought that EI could have become a positive. I have horses coughing all over the place, but one miracle has happened.

I have a gate that now swings properly, fences have been mended, a shed nearly finished.
This would be the one and only time I could say hooray to EI !!

EI EI OH !

An showjumping alternative during EI

Bunny Show Jumping

Importing vaccine illegal: DPI

SYDNEY - NSW Department of Primary Industries is reminding horse owners that the personal importation of equine influenza vaccines is illegal and offenders caught face fines of up to $60,000.

While various types of vaccines are available from outlets overseas, they are not licenced for personal use in Australia and their effectiveness against the current strain is unknown.

NSW deputy chief veterinary officer, Ian Roth, said ProteqFlu is the vaccine being used to strategically restrict the spread of EI as part of the eradication campaign.

“I want to remind all horse owners that it is illegal to acquire or administer an EI vaccine without NSW DPI approval, only vets or other authorised persons working on behalf of NSW DPI can administer the vaccine,” Mr Roth said.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and the Australian Customs Service are on high alert for anybody trying to import EI vaccines.

Equine influenza outbreak

There are 2042 properties infected with equine influenza in Queensland, this is an increase of 38 since yesterday. It's important to maintain decontamination procedures and remain vigilant.

Note: Premises that are currently classified as suspect (SPs) are being re-evaluated. As a result it is likely that the some or many of these premises will be reclassified as IPs, so there will be a disproportionate increase in IPs in coming days that will not be representative of the spread of infection..

Rain fails to put a damper on Melbourne Cup Carnival

EQUINE influenza was the furthest thing from the minds of the sell-out crowd which turned out at Flemington Racecourse yesterday for the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

More than 120,000 people flocked to the famed course for the running of the Victoria Derby, undeterred by the cool weather and occasional showers.

Derby Day lifts the curtain on the spring carnival and is considered more important by racing purists than Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

More than $140 million is expected to be bet on the Melbourne Cup race alone, making it a class act for the bookies as well.

Read more.

PIRSA considering punishment on "very serious" EI breach

South Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Resources (PIRSA) is expected to decide next week whether it will fine a Victorian trainer who sparked an equine flu scare.

The trainer took a horse to Mount Gambier without a permit, forcing other horses to be confined to stables as a precaution.

Test results for equine influenza have come back negative and the horses can now be moved.

The Victorian trainer faces a fine of up to $20,000.

South Australia's Chief Steward, Graham Loch, says PIRSA and Thoroughbred Racing SA will investigate the breach.

"In fairness one must to take all these matters on face value and consider all the facts that are relevant," he said.

"But from the stewards' perspective and the industry's perspective we'd regard the breach as very serious."