PLANNED CHANGES TO THE VARIOUS ZONES IN NSW AND QLD PLANNED FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS

EQUINE INFLUENZA INFORMATION FROM THE AUSTRALIAN HORSE INDUSTRY COUNCIL



The Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases and the National Emergency Animal Disease Management Group have been closely monitoring progress of the emergency response to the Equine Influenza (EI) incursion. The control and eradication efforts have produced results much more quickly than anticipated over the past month or so. Active and passive surveillance for the presence of EI, supplemented by extensive testing, indicates that the last infection in NSW was about 9 December 2007, and in QLD 25 December 2007. In response to this information, it is now possible to be making decisions that originally were planned for March and April. Decisions have been made to reduce the areas of amber, red and purple zones more quickly than originally planned. You can see on the coloured diagrams at www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/timeline.ppt that the ultimate plan is for all coloured areas to be resolved by 30 June 2008. This assumes that no further infections are found. If infection is detected, then a revised plan will need to be implemented surrounding the area of infection. There will be reimposition of movement controls and vaccination in the affected area. The horse industry can assist the eradication effort greatly by continuing to practise the biosecurity measures that have been outlined over the past 5 months. It is critical that any suspicion of infection is reported immediately to the DPI so that testing can be undertaken to detect any EI infection. It remains important that horse owners and carers continue the good efforts that have allowed this revised strategy to be implemented. Over the coming months immunity (whether by infection or vaccination) will start to wane and horses will become susceptible to infection again. It is critical that all EI is eliminated before this reduction in immunity happens.
Copyright 2005 Australian Horse Industry Council