Equine Influenza
Equine Influenza Hotline: phone 1800 234 002
(8am-8pm daily)
If you suspect equine influenza in your horse(s) phone the national 24hr Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888. It is an offence not to report.
For a situation update on the national response to the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia go here.
Telephone Interview with Tom Braz, NSW Dept of Primary Industries 25/10/2007
How are the vaccinations in NSW going?
“Going well. It changes by the day but as of yesterday afternoon, 8,443 horses had been vaccinated out of a target of 12,068. However, the targets change every day as a result of new assessments.
“The first round of vaccinations has been completed in a number of buffer zones and we are tentatively hoping to begin the second round by the end of the month. The second round would be much quicker because the first round involves finding infected animals and sending round three people to take swabs and insert microchips etc…whereas in the second round we just go to the same animals, we already know the owner, and give a second vaccine.
“Weather plays a part, of course, as there are animal welfare issues with vaccinating wet animals because the vaccination site can get infected. So progress depends on the weather to some extent.
“The rate of new infections has slowed down a lot and infections are not in unexpected areas. There are a lot of positive signs. We are hoping that as some buffer zones continue to show no further problems that we can start clearing zones -but that, of course, requires the areas to be tested.”
South Australia
- It’s estimated there are about 25,000 horse owners in SA.
- The horse population is approximately 90,000
- Most organized club activities have been cancelled until 31 December 2007.
- Some recreational events are going ahead in South Australia. According to PIRSA’s Kaye Noske, 18 permits have been issued since the start of the EI outbreak.
- The next information session in South Australia will be held at Clare Golf Club on November 8th 2007. For more information see http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/horseflu/public_meetings
Karen Perry, Chair of SA Horse Trials believes that PIRSA have been somewhat overcautious in comparison with other state approaches. Recreational events are taking place in infected NSW and its immediate neighbour, EI-free Victoria. The Melbourne Cup has remained undisturbed.
In contrast, PIRSA has only issued 18 permits for horse movement and gatherings -not including SA Horse Trials, which Perry chairs. Mixed messages have plagued efforts to present a united policy to all equestrian operators. PIRSA and EFASA have tripped over one another to allow some events to take place, only to eventually issue a blanket ban until the end of the year.
Things have certainly been easier for the racing industry. Money equals safety in the eyes of the authorities as races and race horse owners can afford to implement strict bio-security measures and stump up the cash if something goes wrong.
This is certainly raw for Karen Perry as she witnessed first-hand how bio-security costs can spiral very quickly. During the initial 48-hour standstill, Perry was attending an event in Victoria. As 200 horses were kept overnight in unsuitable conditions, and amateur owners missed work the following days, the cost of providing care and missing scheduled appointments multiplied very quickly.
As the season progresses, opportunities are being missed for international selection and breeding programs. Consequently, the effects of EI will be felt for many years to come.
Linda Haywood © Allied Equine 2007.
For general information about equine influenza and horse movements, contact PIRSA Animal Health on 1800 675 888 or go see the website here.
Also see our Equine Influenza FAQs
