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Thursday 8 November 2007

Ann-Maree's update

Bronte is going well. The vet is "very happy" with her - she had colic yesterday and went backwards but now all systems ahead again. She is off oxygen, drinking off a bottle, soon off the drip for good I hope and soon I might breathe .

Ann-Maree

Non-racing horse industry prepared to make extra sacrifices to ensure the eradication of EI


The complete eradication of Equine Influenza (EI) in Australia must be the ultimate goal, according to the majority of the horse industry in Australia. Participants in the non-racing horse industry in Australia have confirmed their full commitment to the eradication of the disease despite the fact that this will mean ongoing cancellation of horse events and restricted horse movement.
"Non-racing sector horse organisations are firmly against any moves that might lead to EI becoming endemic in Australia," said Dr. Barry Smyth, President, Australian Horse Industry Council. “Although the incidents of EI are decreasing and the containment strategy seems to be working, we believe it is far too early to relax restrictions on horse movements – including vaccinated horses - or on holding horse events and gatherings.”

The majority of the Australian horse industry, more than 80 per cent, is comprised of horse owners, riders, breeders and service providers that are involved in business and recreational activities other than horse racing, and the EI outbreak is having a huge economic impact on this sector of the industry.

Dr Smyth held meetings over the last week with representatives from peak horse industry bodies such as pony clubs, agricultural shows, adult riders and equestrian clubs and the message from these organisations is clear and consistent.

“We are prepared to make sacrifices now for the long term benefit of the industry,” said Dr Smyth. “Based on the experience of other countries, such as Argentina, where EI is endemic we firmly believe that preventative action now is better than living with the costs and inconvenience of having EI in Australia permanently.”
This commitment will result in most non-racing horse activities and gatherings being cancelled until 2008 to minimise the risk of any spread of Equine Influenza. This is voluntary in non-infected jurisdictions and is done at considerable cost to non-racing sectors.
“We hope that preventative measures taken now will allow us to resume normal activities in the first half of 2008 with added biosecurity measures in place,” said Dr Smyth.

“It is important that all horse owners and riders keep their focus on the future and remember that vaccination has not changed the requirement of permits for movements of horses. The movement of horses depends solely on the zone system. Horses in the red and amber zones cannot be moved off their property without a permit, even after being vaccinated.

“Vaccination is a process of two separate shots and then it needs time to work. Allowing at least one week, but preferably two, after the second shot is recommended before moving horses based in the purple zone.”

“EI is starting to be controlled but constant vigilance is required and we cannot let our guard down yet.”

The Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) is a national peak body representing the Australian horse industry. It is a not-for-profit organisation designed to represent the interests of horses and horse owners across all sectors of the industry.


For further information or an interview please contact
Emma Swivel, Sefton & Associates P. 02 6766 5222

Grenfell horses come down with flu



Two properties at Grenfell in the Central West have been quarantined following positive test results from horses for equine influenza (EI) and vaccination of nearby horses will start within 48 hours.

A restricted area has been declared around the infected properties and the status of the Grenfell district has been changed from Amber to Red Zone.

NSW deputy chief veterinary officer, Steve Dunn, said while the Grenfell result was disappointing it highlighted the need to maintain biosecurity to stop the spread of EI.

“We are confident we can contain and eradicate the virus as long as we can rely on horse owners and other people who have contact with horses to exercise biosecurity,” Mr Dunn said.

“This means changing clothes after being around horses and washing all exposed areas of skin.”

Mr Dunn said NSW Department of Primary Industries surveillance teams have started tracing efforts to determine how the horses contracted virus.

Samples have been taken from nearby Grenfell properties and results are expected back late tomorrow.

Horse owners can contact the NSW EI hotline, 1800 675 888, for more information.

Supplied by NSW DPI

Do you believe them?

While the politicians are busy playing politics and handing out election promises, the DPI are busy projecting Epidemic curves to convince somebody, anybody, perhaps everybody, that the EI crisis is being brought under control. Does anybody believe them?
Quote from the DPI Victorian Situation Report dated Wednesday 7 November. (Can be found on the AHIC website)
“It should also be remembered that although there are currently 7693 IPs declared in the two States, that this figure is misleading. Practically, only the IPs reported in the last 21 days will still be harbouring active infection. The number of active IPs is therefore not 7693, but nearer 1830. At an average of 10 horses per property, this means that about 18,300 horses (out of a population of about 1 million) are currently infected. This means that about 1.8% of the total horse population are currently affected by EI.”

Nice spin down and the graphs look impressive, but how about we look at the real facts. Given that they are not counting the number of horses actually affected, let’s work on their average of 10 horses per property. Number of IPs (reported to date) 7693 x 10 horses per property, makes a total of 76,930 horses that have been infected with EI to date. By the same calculation of a population of about 1 million, that makes 7.6% infected to date. (that have been reported).
Given the reported low mortality rate of 1% this means at least 769 horses so far have DIED from this disease! DEAD as a result of incompetent handling of this crisis! Not that anybody is recording the deaths, so we will never know if the 1% is accurate or if the figure is higher.
OK, so not all 76 thousand horses are still infective, but their calculation of ‘practically only IPs reported in the last 21 days’ is as big a load of garbage as everything else the Government has fed us.
Assuming that properties are reported the first or second day after clinical signs are observed, then the spin doctors should be calculating the ‘active infective’ properties from the date of the last horse on the property to show clinical signs, not the reporting date. Then, let’s add to that infective number by the fact that the virus can live on inanimate objects for varying lengths of time and it has been quoted in various places that the virus can survive up to 18 days in dirty water. How many properties would you find a source of dirty water? Stagnant creek beds, dams, water troughs, the list are endless, as are the number of properties that could still be harbouring the virus!

Lets then add the 100’s, probably thousands of mares that were moved into the ‘purple zone’ to allow for breeding. Many of which probably came from clean properties and entered infected properties (all in the name of the mighty $$). The unreported properties we will never know the true extend of them, so many have lost faith (or had none to begin with) in the DPI that thousands will never have been reported.

Yesterdays NMG announcement is just as big a joke, not only have they re-written the Ausvetplan to protect the racing industry at the expense of 80% of the horse industry, it appears they have now re-written the EAD agreement, and ‘capped limit’ actually now means ‘capped when we decide to give up’. Given that the Australian Racing Board is the only horse industry that is party to the Deed, exactly who in the industry are they seeking agreement with over this decision to go on indefinitely protecting only those that are deemed ‘high value’ and keep patting the rest on the head for co-operating with them? Its much like the pat on a head you would give a horse ~ just before you shoot it!

I don’t know about all the other peak bodies and their rules and regulations, but under the EFA Code of Conduct.
RULE NUMBER 1. In all equestrian sports the horse must be considered paramount.
RULE NUMBER 2. The well being of the horse shall be above the demands of breeders, trainers, riders, owners, dealers, organizer, sponsors or officials.
RULE NUMBER 3. All handling and veterinary treatment must ensure the health and welfare of the horse.
I could go on, but the point is clearly that under every ruling the horses’ welfare MUST be considered the highest priority. These rules are not based on who places what value on any one animal or how much those animals are worth to the Government coffers.
Denying people access to vaccine to protect their horses is like denying them access to basic care such as food and water.
The entire handling of this disaster is a complete disgrace, everybody knows that, and the battle between the Government and the Racing Industry will go on for months as to who relaxed what rules, and who had the most to gain. They are both as bad as each other and meanwhile thousands more horses will continue to fall victim to this disease.
Everyone is telling us that the reason the Racing Industry were able to get action is because they are such a well oiled machine, at the click of a mouse button they can produce the facts and figures that enable immediate decisions to be made. How then can the NMG be making such decisions based on the entire horse industry if they do not have all the facts at hand. I refer you all to the ‘Scenario cost analysis for Equine Influenza’ posted yesterday.
http://horsedealsflu.blogspot.com/2007/11/national-management-group-positive_07.html
“Reducing the income loss in the equine industry due to movement restrictions lowers the cost of the eradication scenario compared with the endemic scenario.”

How can they make those decisions if they do not have all the facts?
Reducing movement restrictions has already proven to spread the disease further.
There are many more scandals to come out of how this entire crisis has been handled, many will never be made public.
We cannot rely on the Government to give us the facts, perhaps one of our industry liaison officers would be kind enough to give us some real facts, someone from the AHIC perhaps as they claim to be representing ALL horse owners interests.
Given the stringent controls over the use of the GM vaccine, these facts should be readily available at the click of a mouse button.
How many doses of the GM vaccine have been received in the country to date?
Of the number of vaccine that are reportedly underwritten, the number of which seem to change depending on who’s media release you read… What time frame (delivery dates) are expected for this vaccine to roll into the country? Answers in terms of doses and dates would be more useful than estimated number of horses that ‘could’ be vaccinated by February!
What quantities of vaccine have been allocated to non-infected states, all states other than NSW and Qld?
How much vaccine has already been used in non-infected states?
What quantities have been used in NSW & Qld, a break-up of doses used by the racing industry, buffer zones, and last but not least ‘high value horses’?
Given that the Government want us to believe that the containment strategy is working, how can any vaccine used outside the infected states of NSW & Qld be considered ‘in line with the Ausvetplan’ and part of an eradication strategy, when none of those horses were or could be in any immediate danger of contracting this disease?
Have the Govt already approved the Racing Industry’s announcement of their ‘National Vaccination Policy’ and mandatory vaccinating of all race horses?
At what point do the NMG now foresee re-evaluating the eradication vs endemic scenario?
a) After the Election
b) When we reach 10, 15, 20% of the horse population infected
c) When we reach 1000, 2000, 3000 deaths
d) When ‘x’ number of cases appear in other states
e) All of the above
f) When the racing industry has twisted the Governments arm harder
g) Or, has the industry agreed on a new capped $$ value, if so what is it?

When does the Welfare of our horses come into this decision??
These are not difficult questions, and the horse owners of this country deserve to know the answers.
Lynne
From the Disaster Zone up North

EI survey

An online EI survey, hosted by the www.outbreak.gov.au website, just completed has produced some interesting results. About 400 took part – only 3 from Tasmania, most from NSW and Qld (no surprise there). Over 90% that participated were women. While the responses were encouraging about the level of awareness of the biosecurity steps horse owners needed to take, the surprising result was that only 250 out of 400 said they always or mostly washed their hands after handling horses – that is, 150 or almost 40% said they didn’t !! On the other biosecurity steps, the score was 90% or more, so handwashing is the weak link.

Over 5,500 cases of horse flu have been reported in China’s Xinjiang province, which borders Mongolia.


This is the first outbreak of equine influenza in 13 years in China and has put some 130,000 Chinese horses at risk.

However, Chinese officials have been quick to add that this strain of the flu, called H3N8, is rarely fatal for animals or dangerous to people.

Chinese officials have quarantined infected horses and restricted the movement of other horses in the province. Officials have said that horses at risk of infection are in the counties of Altay, Burqin, Fuhai, Fuyun, Habahe, Jemnay and Qinghe.

A decision was made in 2005 to hold equestrian events for the upcoming Beijing Olympics in Hong Kong. The reason given for this move was to protect horses from equine diseases and because Hong Kong has more experience with equine sports.
Besides Mongolia, China’s Xinjiang province also borders Kazakhstan and Russia.

http://www.mongolia-web.com/content/view/1469/2/

EI Outbreak in China - the statistics.



Equine influenza,
China (People's Rep. of)

Information received on 05/11/2007 from Mr Jia Youling, National Chief Veterinary Officer, Veterinary Bureau, Director General, BEIJING, China (People's Rep. of)

Report type:Immediate notification
Start date: 09/10/2007
Date of confirmation of event: 30/10/2007
Report date: 05/11/2007
Date submitted to OIE: 05/11/2007
Reason for notification: Reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 1994
Manifestation of disease: Clinical disease
Causal agent: Equine influenza virus A subtype H3N8
Nature of diagnosis: Clinical, Laboratory (advanced)
Report pertains to: Entire country
Outbreak 1: Altay, XINJIANG
Date of start of outbreak: 09/10/2007
Outbreak status: Continuing (or date resolved not submitted)
Epidemiological unit: Village

Affected animals
Species: Equidae
Susceptible: 130000
Cases: 5515
Deaths: 0
Destroyed: 0
Slaughtered: 0

Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 1

Outbreak statistics
Species: Equidae
Apparent morbidity rate: 4.24%
Apparent mortality rate: 0.00%
Apparent case fatality rate: 0.00%
Proportion susceptible removed*: 0.00%
* Removed from the susceptible population either through death, destruction or slaughter

Epidemiology
Source of infection: Unknown or inconclusive:
Note by the OIE's Animal Health Information Department: Epidemiological comments. Information was not provided outbreak by outbreak. Figures indicate the total number of susceptible animals and cases in seven counties, namely Altay, Burqin, Fuhai, Fuyun, Habahe, Jemnay and Qinghe.

Control measures
Movement control inside the country
Screening
Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)
Dipping / Spraying
Measures already applied
Quarantine
Zoning
Vaccination permitted
Treatment of affected animals (-)
Measures to be applied
None specified
Diagnostic test results: n/a

Laboratory name and type: Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (National laboratory)

Tests and results:

Species: Equidae
Test: haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT)
Test date: 30/10/2007
Result:Positive

Species: Equidae
Test: reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
Test date: 30/10/2007
Result:Positive

Species: Equidae
Test: virus isolation
Test date: 30/10/2007
Result:Positive

http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=6429

***Click on map to enlarge***

China Has First Horse-Flu Outbreak in 13 Years, Near Mongolia

China said 130,000 horses risk catching flu after the nation's first outbreak of equine influenza in 13 years was discovered in a northwestern province.

More than 5,500 cases of the viral disease were reported in Altay, Xinjiang province, China's Chief Veterinary Officer Jia Youling said yesterday.

An analysis by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute on Oct. 30 found the outbreak was caused by the H3N8 strain of flu, which isn't usually fatal for animals or dangerous to people.

Government officials are restricting the movement of horses, screening animals for the virus and quarantining those infected to control the outbreak, Jia said in a report to the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health.

Horses at risk of infection are in the counties of Altay, Burqin, Fuhai, Fuyun, Habahe, Jemnay and Qinghe, he said in the report. Xinjiang province borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia.

Organizers of the Beijing Olympics said in 2005 they planned to hold equestrian events at next year's Games in Hong Kong because they couldn't promise protection from equine diseases and Hong Kong has more experience with equine sports.

Bloomberg
http://www.fluradar.com/viewNews.php?id=1339

Current Victorian maps - Investigations and samples


**Click on map to enlarge**

THESE ARE SITES THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED AND SAMPLES TAKEN UP TO THE 7TH NOVEMBER IN VICTORIA.

QLD DPI

6 November PM: There are 2177 properties infected with equine influenza in Queensland, this is an increase of 19 since yesterday. It's important to maintain decontamination procedures and remain vigilant.

New South Wales Country Hour

Wednesday, November 7, 2007
NSW Country Hour live and exclusive
Report: Sarina Locke/ David Claughton/ Bruce Reynolds
The NSW Country Hour was broadcast from the Department of Primary Industry's State Disease Management Centre in Orange today. The program looked at funding compensation management and de-contamination in relation to the horse flu.

Listen
Listen to the latest NSW Country Hour program
Follow this link then on the right hand side there is a link; Listen to the latest NSW Country Hour program: RealAudio Just click on Real Audio. The first 15 minutes is news and stuff, so just drug the arrow to about 15 minutes to start the Horse Flu information.

OVER 50 EI INFORMATION SESSIONS PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER - Victoria

More than 50 equine influenza community information sessions will be held across Victoria in November to ensure the community has up-to-date information on EI and the current situation in Victoria.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Hugh Millar said sessions would start on November 7 and the purpose was to provide horse owners with valuable information on the EI situation on a national and state level.

“The sessions will coincide with the distribution of community information packs on horse flu.

“Sixteen information sessions will be held in Gippsland, 14 in the north east, 12 in the north west and 14 in the south west of Victoria.

“The Victorian horse owning community has done a tremendous job in helping keep Victoria EI free.

“The information packs and information sessions will help ensure every horse owner in Victoria is armed with the information and knowledge to ensure we continue to protect Victoria from this highly contagious
disease.

“Work to keep EI out of Victoria will continue, including maintaining surveillance at border crossings, but containment strategies rely on continuing cooperation from the community.

“I urge the horse community to continue to follow biosecurity measures such as washing hands, clothes and horse gear after use. In addition, all horses with a high temperature or a runny nose should be vet checked for EI,” Dr Millar said.

Click here for a full list of the community information sessions.

Questions arising from the Ulverstone meeting on 26 October - Tasmania

Around 150 people attended the horse flu information meeting at Ulverstone on Friday 26 October.

Most of the questions raised were addressed on the night, but a few had to taken away for a later answer. Some of these questions related to the biosecurity requirement in place at the time that a vet must be present to check horses onto the event site where there were 10 or more horses at the event. The requirement to have a vet onsite has since been replaced with
a requirement that a vet or an event official check that horses entering the site appear healthy.

Is it possible to station Quarantine Tasmania officers at the Melbourne docks and at the interstate airports so that the checking of people and luggage for EI risk takes place “over there” rather than in Tasmania?

Quarantine Tasmania has looked into this idea many times prior to the EI outbreak and again since. Each time it has come up against the same problem – that Tasmania’s special quarantine restrictions are empowered by Tasmanian law and there are practical difficulties in applying that law interstate. In short, Quarantine Tasmania officers can only “advise” travellers in other states whereas they have certain powers at the Tasmanian airports and seaports. It’s more efficient for them to do their job here in Tasmania where they can use their powers if necessary.

Could the airlines and the TT Line be asked to quiz travellers about recent contact with horses etc when they check in at interstate airports, seaports and the information forwarded to Quarantine Tasmania?

People can, in effect, check themselves in for their flights these days, so it wouldn’t be particularly effective. The TT Line has introduced a pre-recorded message about travellers needing to declare if they’ve had recent contact with a mainland horse and that message is played to travellers in the areas where they assemble for disembarking. Getting the airlines to change the quarantine messages they broadcast to passengers as the plane lands is a difficult process that has to happen at the national level.
Quarantine Tasmania research indicates that few people actually listen to these messages and it is better that quarantine officers do the job themselves as the inbound passengers enter the airport terminal.

Could the efforts of Quarantine Tasmania be stepped up in relation to the risk of horse gear bringing the EI virus into Tasmania ?

While it is unrealistic to expect that any quarantine barrier can be 100% effective in detecting risks, Quarantine Tasmania has made around 30 seizures of horse gear during the current EI alert. The concerns raised at the Ulverstone meeting have been relayed to Quarantine Tasmania and it is continually briefing its frontline staff on the need to check inbound travellers. Anyone in the Tasmanian horse community that knows of any person entering the State without being asked whether they have had
recent contact with horses or have any horse gear in their luggage, should report to us the flight details or other information that would help us identify which quarantine officers were on duty at the time.
People at the Ulverstone meeting suggested the EI alert posters at the airports and seaports could be larger – that has happened. And agreement has been reached with the Melbourne Ports Corporation to display A1-size posters strategically at the Spirit terminal in Melbourne.

Vaccination.
There were several questions about vaccination and not all could
be answered at the Ulverstone meeting.

The vaccination policy is still being worked out by the Minister in close consultation with the racing codes and the Equestrian Federation of Tasmania. Details of the vaccination policy will be posted on this website as soon as they are available.

Horses on Properties in the Purple Zone

Did you know that DPI is now vaccinating selected groups of Uninfected Horses on Properties in the Purple Zone?
Are you eligible for this FREE VACCINATION?
Contact your local Equine Vet for more information.

Victorian DPI Situation Report - Nov 07

Round two of horse flu vaccinations begin

The second round of equine influenza vaccinations are being rolled out through New South Wales buffer zones this week.
Horse owners in the Gloucester buffer zone are being asked by the Department of Primary Industries to be patient while it works through the area.
Deputy chief veterinary officer Stephen Dunn says horse owners will be contacted by the department over the coming week.

Mr Dunn says he also expects restrictions to be lifted from the Wauchope area by the week's end, and that the whole mid-north and north coast areas could be in the clear soon.

"I'd say in a couple of weeks we'll have all those results in and that will enable us to approach the national consultative committee to say these are the results and ask them for permission to turn the area green," he said.

"That of course hopefully will come about and we won't have any undue surprises in the area."

More time before NSW horses can move to Vic

The Victorian Department of Primary Industries says it is likely to be another two months before there is any normal movement of horses into Victoria from New South Wales zones free of equine influenza (EI).

Harness racing trainers have been unable to race about 30 horses based in southern New South Wales since August when EI broke out in the Sydney area.

Victoria's chief veterinarian, Hugh Millar, says only a limited number of trainers and owners are likely to be able to make use of new protocols for quarantining of horses at designated facilities in NSW then Victoria.
"I'd have to say there is certainly good prospects that by the new year we'll have these risks very well defined, I believe," he said.

"I guess it's like the recreational industry where we've been saying, 'look plan for the new year because there's every chance things will be way improved by then'."