$6bn industry at risk amid race to prevent horse flu

A REPEAT of last year's equine influenza outbreak could permanently cripple Australia's $6 billion horse racing and breeding industry, but scientists and industry officials are at odds over how to prevent another epidemic.

Last year's devastating EI outbreak, which threatened the running of the Melbourne Cup and brought the horse racing and breeding industries to a standstill, is estimated to have cost the Australian economy up to $1 billion.

While both camps agree that a second outbreak could bring the industry to its knees, they disagree on whether the best way to avert catastrophe would be to continue a national vaccination program or to beef up quarantine restrictions to prevent EI from re-entering Australia.

Last year's outbreak, which resulted in 488 confirmed cases and 1646 suspected cases of horse flu on 100 properties, is thought to have been spread by racing stallions brought in from Japan.

John Messara, manager of Arrowfield Stud in the NSW Hunter Valley, one of the country's biggest breeding operations, told The Sunday Age continued vaccinations provided the best shield against the disease taking hold again.

"An ongoing vaccination program is essential if we are to protect ourselves properly against this disease. Another outbreak would be absolutely catastrophic … there would be hundreds of businesses go under if it happened again," Mr Messara said.

"I estimate that $1 billion was lost over EI and that's a loss few industries could take twice.

"The quarantine system is only as good as the people in it and I don't have faith that similar mistakes will never be made again. The vaccine provides a safety net."

Mr Messara's stance is supported by the racing authorities from every state and a number of experienced veterinarians.

As EI is considered an exotic disease, there were no licensed vaccines when the outbreak struck last August. The Federal Government was forced to give an emergency licence to medication flown in from abroad.

However, as this approval expires at the end of June, many in the horse racing industry are lobbying the government for an extension. It is expected state and federal officials will discuss the issue at a summit planned for May.

Leading the call for an end to vaccination is Melbourne University's Dr James Gilkerson, one of the country's leading experts in equine viruses.

"Australia is now free of the disease and we really need to concentrate on making sure it can't be allowed to enter the country again. I think talk of vaccinations clouds the issues", Dr Gilkerson said.

"We really need to make proper investment in quarantine facilities and the people who work there. The policies are in place to stop the disease; we now need to concentrate on making sure the policy implementation is absolutely correct."

He argues that vaccination could lead to the disease again being spread across Australia, as vaccinated horses can still contract EI, but their symptoms are often suppressed. "This raises the possibility that a horse could be carrying the disease without it being spotted and could be transported across the country and cause another outbreak," he said.

In Japan all race horses are vaccinated against EI, yet the country still suffered an outbreak last year.

Dr Barry Smyth, a veterinarian of 35 years and president of the Australian Horse Industry Council, says another consideration is that forced vaccinations could make horse ownership too costly for many.

"If horses used for recreation were forced to get injected, then a lot of people may think twice about keeping an animal. Injections could cost over $100 a time and may need to be given up to three times a year," Dr Smyth told The Sunday Age.