DPI&F Biosecurity Queensland

Equine Influenza Update

Update No. 24, Thursday 15th November 2007

Situation report for Thursday 15th November, 2007

Infected Premises
There are 2184 Infected Premises (IPs) in Queensland, and 25 new IPs have been registered since yesterday. However there is a continuing reduction in the total IP's registered due to reclassification to the status from IP to Resolved (R). A property's R status means that its horses are no longer shedding the virus.

This is a critical time of the disease emergency and all horse owners and horse health care providers are must maintain decontamination and other biosecurity procedures and remain vigilant to allow the disease to burn itself out.

Reporting sick horses
It is still a legal requirement to notify the DPI&F on 13 25 23 of any horses that show clinical sign consistent with EI.

See the breakdown of infected premises by shires

Equine Influenza Update from the Qld Chief Veterinary Officer - All horse owners need to protect the Green Zone status

If we are to succeed in eradicating equine influenza (EI) it is critical that the Green Zone remains free of infection.

This is very important in the lead up to Christmas when we may be relaxing some movement restrictions in the Red Zone.

The rate of infection in the Red Zone continues to fall, but we cannot be complacent - all horse owners in ALL parts of Queensland (Green and Red Zones) need to do the right thing now. DPI&F is urging all horse owners in the Green Zone to register the location of their horses, complete waybills if moving a horse, plan appropriate biosecurity for equestrian events and report any sick horses.

It is important that ALL horse properties in ALL parts of Queensland (GREEN ZONE as well as those in the RED ZONE) must register on the DPI&F website. This is a legal requirement under the Stock Identification Regulation 2005. This information is critical for vaccination planning as well as movement planning as restrictions are relaxed.

Read the full information for Green Zone

Many Queensland horses no longer infectious

Many properties infected by Equine Influenza at the start of the outbreak in late August-early September can now be classed as not infected. This means many more horses can be considered for an essential movement permit.

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Chief Veterinary Officer Ron Glanville said most horses infected during the early period would have recovered by now and would no longer be infectious.

"Equine Influenza has been in Queensland for 12 weeks and it generally takes two to three weeks for a horse to stop shedding the virus," he said.

"We're now at the stage where we can reconsider the status of IPs in Warwick, Minden, Tamborine, Rosewood and Brisbane's western suburbs.

"Since August 25 the number of infected properties has reached about 2200, but the number of properties with horses shedding virus is now much lower because many horses have completely recovered."

Horse owners can apply online at www.dpi.qld.gov.au to have their properties officially declared 'Resolved' or no longer infectious.

Criteria for assessment include clinical records and the number of days since the last horse developed clinical signs of horse flu.

There are a number of options for how this can occur depending on the standard of the clinical records that were kept for individual properties. Depending on the option chosen, a property can be "resolved" either 30 days, 44 days, or 60 days after infection.

If a property meets the criteria its status will be changed from Infected to Resolved, which means the 'horses are recovered and no longer regarded as infected and live virus is no longer present on the property'. The Resolved status applies to the whole property, not to individual horses.

Permits can not be issued until a property's resolved status is formalised.

Dr Glanville said having your property's status changed from Infected to Resolved was an important step towards eventual freeing up of movement restrictions in the south east Queensland Red Zone.

"You will still need a permit to move a horse from a Resolved property, but it will make the process a bit easier," he said.

Read the full media release

Report by the Horse Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs)

As Horse Industry Liaison Officers we are often asked by people in the red zone when they should start to carry out biosecurity measures on their property.

At the same time many people state that they need to know exactly where an infected property (IP) is located in relation to them so that they will know when to start carrying out biosecurity measures.

In both cases, the answer is - ALL horse properties in the red zone should be carrying out biosecurity measures NOW! This is irrespective of where your horses are located.

If you wait until a property in your area becomes confirmed as having EI then it will probably be too late.

Green Zone properties should also comply with the advice from the Qld Chief Vet provided in this e-newsletter. If we all put in good biosecurity that effectively locks all horses up 'in a bubble for 4 weeks', then EI will burn itself out.

The EI virus is extremely contagious but can take up to five days to develop to the stage where the signs are easily seen by the owner. During this time horses can be infecting each other, which of course includes any horses on the same property and also any horses on neighbouring properties.

Owners of horses can also be spreading the virus during this time on their body because they are unaware that their horses are already infected.

For example, you may be off your property, shopping or filling up with petrol somewhere when you inadvertently come into contact with the virus, left there by someone who was not following biosecurity procedures. If you do not follow procedures when you return to the property, it may be that it will be you that carries the infection to your horses. Of course the reverse is true, by not following the biosecurity procedure when you leave your property, it may be you that is unknowingly helping the virus to spread.

It is important therefore you need to carry out good biosecurity on your property all of the time.

The Equine Influenza portal on the DPI&F website www.dpi.qld.gov.au has lots of information about how to implement effective biosecurity on your property and the procedures that you need to follow when leaving and returning to your property.

About Horse ILOs
The message above is presented by the Horse Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs) working on the equine influenza emergency. ILOs are horse people who are working in conjunction with the DPI&F for the wider horse industry. The ILO is a recognised position within the AUSVETPLAN, helping to help combat disease outbreaks. ILOs are horse owners/riders/horse business owners and event organisers who understand the needs of the industry because they are part of it.

SPREAD THE WORD - NOT THE DISEASE!

(Horse Industry Liaison Officers)
Adele Godsall, Capalaba & Redlands
Nicole Magoffin, Gold Coast
Karen Herald, Caboolture & Sunshine Coast
David Finch, Toowoomba
Rex Walker, Gatton
Jane Myers, Tamborine

New downloadable biosecurity checklists for fences on horse properties or for windows in all horse-related retail shops

We, Horse Industry Liaison Officers have produced two new checklists that you can download and display on your fences, stable doors or in your shop front. Click on the link below to download the PDFs of each checklist. Implement each biosecurity item and then use a marking pen to tick off the ones that you have put in place on your farm or buisness.

Biosecurity checklist for horse PROPERTY owners

Biosecurity checklist for horse SHOP owners

We ask all responsible horse owners to download these checklists and print out some of them, then take them to horse-related shops or to your horsey neighbours and ask them to implement all the biosecurity procedures listed.

Thanks in advance for taking up the challenge by;

* registering your horse premise on the DPI&F website
* fighting EI by using effective decontamination and
* promoting the biosecurity message in your local area.

SPREAD THE WORD - NOT THE DISEASE!

Signed
Your Horse ILOs

Vaccination policy within proximity to IPs

DPI&F policy is to minimise the vaccination of horses within the immediate proximity of infected premises.

This is only a general policy and of course, there needs to be some flexibility to address any 'wildfire' outbreaks of EI. For example, a positive infected premise reported in the green zone would require blanket vaccination in the immediate vicinity and for a 10km radius around the infected property.

Also in areas within the red zone where there is a new 'bushfire front' to the infection, such as recently occurred in Samford, DPI&F will instruct private veterinarians in the area to vaccinate a 'firebreak' as and where it is needed to produce the best result.

Vaccination in the outer buffer, inner buffer and around new areas of infection are the priority.

Many people have made application for vaccination of their horses when they are too close to an existing infected premise. There needs to be a period of time elapse to allow the IPs to mature to a non-infective stage.

If this case for you, the DPI&F will hold your application for vaccination for reassessment at a latter time when IPs close to your property have matured.

While every care has been taken in preparing this eNewsletter, the State of Queensland accepts no responsibility for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data, information, statement or advice, expressed or implied, contained in this eNewsletter.