Hendra virus claims mare in New South Wales

Flying foxes are known to behaviour the Hendra virus.

An 18-year-old mare has died from the Hendra virus at a holding due west of Kempsey, on New South Wales’ mid-north coast.

The representative follows solely days later on the expiry of a horse nigh the Gold Coast, inward southern Queensland.

The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries said today that the holding had been quarantined.

The state’s acting principal veterinary officer, Dr Therese Wright, said a somebody veterinary took a swab from the dead Equus caballus on Th too sent the sample for laboratory analysis.

The results confirmed the Hendra virus today.

“The Equus caballus was noticeably sick on Th too was showing neurological changes, including loss of residuum too staggering,” Wright said.

“The holding has straightaway been quarantined too a minute Equus caballus on the holding has been vaccinated, sampled too volition hold to endure monitored yesteryear a Livestock Health too Pest Authority veterinarian.”

Wright said it was critical that Equus caballus owners maintained vigilance against the bat-borne virus.

“Horse owners request to hash out the role of the Hendra vaccine amongst their somebody veterinarian.

“Vaccination is the unmarried virtually effective means of reducing the gamble of Hendra virus infection inward horses.

“People should also hold horses away from fruiting too flowering trees that mightiness attract fruit bats or other areas where bats are known to congregate.”

Director of Communicable Diseases amongst NSW Health, Vicky Sheppeard, said the local world wellness unit of measurement had identified 3 human contacts of the affected Equus caballus too flora that their gamble was negligible to low.

The 3 get got been provided amongst advice too are to follow upward amongst their full general practitioners.

Sheppeard urged people who are inward contact amongst sick horses to get got precautions to protect themselves from Hendra too other viruses.

“All people, including owners too vets, who handgrip sick horses should ever have on gloves, protective have on too catch protection every bit a precaution. Horse blood, olfactory organ too lung secretions, too urine tin all behaviour the virus too order people who come upward inward contact amongst them at risk. Human treatments for Hendra rest experimental, too thus avoidance of exposure to the virus is the safest course of teaching of action,” she said.

 

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