DPI&F Biosecurity Queensland

Equine Influenza Update

Update No. 15, Friday 28 September 2007

Assistance available to people adversely affected by equine influenza

An immediate $20 million State Government assistance package is operational for all Queenslanders whose livelihoods are affected by the equine influenza outbreak, Premier Anna Bligh said today.

Ms Bligh urged anyone suffering hardship to immediately contact the Equine Influenza helpline (13 25 23) or to visit the Government's assistance centres across the affected "Red Zone". A mobile one-stop shop also would be dispatched to areas in need.

She said a one-stop shop opened this morning in Hamilton, in Brisbane's racing precinct, to offer a wide range of help to people affected by the outbreak.

It will complement the services available at Warwick, Goondiwindi, Mt Tamborine, Rosewood and Brookfield that provide advice on containment. The Government is set to expand the network of one-stop shops to other hot-spots.

The immediate $20 million State Government assistance package includes:

• An initial $5million to provide one-off payments for individuals and families of up to $155 for individuals and $750 for families.
• $10 million to help struggling businesses meet interest payments on new or existing loans. Up to $5000 is available in dollar-for-dollar subsidies.
• A $5 million recovery package to help the horse industry retain skilled employees and get back on their feet after the influenza outbreak.

View full media release
View information about the assistance package

Qld equine influenza buffer zone plan

Widespread vaccination alone has never resulted in successful eradication of the disease. However vaccination can be used strategically to create an area of horses with increased immunity to the disease to limit spread of infection out of south-east Queensland.

Horses within a vaccination buffer zone approximately 10km wide around the infected area in south-east Queensland will be vaccinated.

The buffer zone has been developed taking into account natural features such as escarpments, mountain ranges, national parks and other areas of low horse populations. This has been done so that the buffer can be developed in south-east Queensland with the fewest possible vaccinations. Horses in the buffer zone should be free of EI infection.

The amount of vaccine that is available for the vaccination buffer zone in Queensland is very limited because of the limited global supply. Unfortunately this means that many people wanting to vaccinate there horses will not be able to. The best way to protect your animals from EI, and to assist in eradicating the disease, is to maintain strict biosecurity measures following DPI&F guidelines.

View the Vaccination Buffer Zone Map

Frequently asked questions about equine influenza (EI) vaccination

Important: There is only a very limited supply of vaccines available. Priority will be given to the buffer zone vaccinations to contain the spread of the disease, and to high performance and high risk horses according to guidelines established and agreed to at a National Level.

Read the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about the Queensland vaccination progam.

Go to the FAQs and answers

Vaccination of horses to start this weekend

Vaccination of horses will begin this weekend as part of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries' (DPI&F) program of containment and eradication of equine influenza in South East Queensland.

This will see the establishment of a large "buffer zone" around the known areas of horse flu infection in the South East Queensland Red Zone, (view map) as well as vaccination of high risk horse populations within the Red Zone.

DPI&F Biosecurity Queensland Chief Veterinary Officer Ron Glanville said the original strategy of establishing a series of smaller buffer zones had been revised after a number of outbreaks in new locations in South East Queensland were confirmed earlier this week.

Read the full media release

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