Equine Influenza Update: Horses with equine flu top 30,000
Published: October 9, 2007
Source : Horse Talk NZ
Figures released yesterday reveal there are more than 3700 properties in the state with infected horses. More than 700 other properties are considered either "dangerous contact" or "suspect".
In Queensland, no precise figure for infected horses has been given, but state authorities confirm there are 781 infected properties.
The news comes as both states continue their rollout of vaccine in buffer zones to bolster containment efforts.
NSW Primary Industries deputy chief veterinary officer Steve Dunn said the co-operation and community support for the vaccination programme has been outstanding.
"Individual horse owners have gone out of their way to work with us, co-operate and help," he said.
"As we roll out the vaccination campaign we are being welcomed by horse owners who are happy to have their horses vaccinated."
Mr Dunn said staff are investigating how the disease spread to a property at Barmedman, in the previously disease-free green zone, where two horses have tested positive.
The property is between West Wyalong and Temora, about 40km from the boundary of the amber zone.
"The horse owners in this case took early action by reporting their sick animals immediately, which hopefully will give us a better chance of preventing further spread," Mr Dunn said.
"A red zone is being declared around the property and the amber zone will be extended further west and south. This will unfortunately restrict the movement of some horses which were recently given greater freedom to move when the zones were declared."
He said it was important to keep as much of NSW free of the disease as possible.
"This setback reinforces the need for strict biosecurity when people come in contact with horses," he said. "The horse flu virus is very contagious because it can live on your body and your clothes for up to 48 hours and can be transmitted from humans to horses."
In Queensland, a potential problem with a batch of 4800 vials of vaccine resulted in the state requesting a fresh supply. The second shipment arrived at the weekend and has been distributed.
Biosecurity Queensland chief veterinary officer Ron Glanville said the problem was discovered with a shipment that arrived from Sydney by private contractor on Saturday morning.
One of two temperature sensors indicated the shipment had been below two degrees. As a live vaccine, they must be maintained at between two and six degrees. The drop in temperature could reduce or even nullify the effectiveness of the vaccine. It was feared the vaccine may even have been frozen.
Dr Glanville said it was possible the sensor had malfunctioned. While this was being investigated, Biosecurity Queensland was not prepared to distribute a vaccine in which they did not have complete confidence.
He confirmed the number of infected properties at 781. "From a disease-control perspective, the actual area bounded by known infected properties is a better indicator of progress than the number of infected properties.
"This area is still expanding, which highlights again the need for everyone to play their part in controlling this highly contagious disease."
People must report sick horses, he said. "We rely on people doing the right thing not only for their own horses, but for all the horses in their community."
Several officials from Queensland's Department of Primary Industries, including Director General Jim Varghese, attended a rally at Ipswich at the weekend, where up to 3000 people gathered to protest the handling of the outbreak.
In other news:
• NSW authorities confirm a buffer zone is being established at Wellington, described as a "pre-emptive move intended to stop gradual spread from property to property and beyond".
• Five horses at a property across the road from Rosehill Racecourse have been confirmed with the disease, in another blow to Australian racing. Trainers based at the track are little more than 200m away. The 350 horses at the track were inoculated nine days ago, hopefully giving the horses some immunity.
• A further 130,000 vials of vaccine arrived in Sydney at the weekend. The strategy for its distribution has yet to be announced.
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10 de octubre de 2007
I have worked in Australia for many years and would suggest that the soil on which their feeds grow would have a large bearing on the resistance animals can obtain. Australian soils are chemically wanting in many elements and the tendency to push for more feed through the application of N fertilisers only compounds the problem. Such feeds are saturated with amide nitrogen compounds and as such are an insult on any animal’s immune system. I have analysed soils from Gippsland to the Northern Territory and have yet to find one soil where the electrolytes are sufficient to produce good quality feeds. Unfortunately, here in NZ we are going down the same road led by the nose by the fertiliser industry and their protégé’s. If we do not wake up now, then horse flu will not be the only malady afflicting our animals and us.
Take a look at Quantumlab (NZ) website.
Peter J Lester
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9 de octubre de 2007
Dear Reader, Here we have a perfect example and indicator of the problem but its being completely ignored. The problem is not the flu, but the HORSE population in Australia have weakened immune system due to long term exposure to vetinary products that are simply toxic to animals, and secondly the poor quality of natural feed. Why i talk about natural is simply because man cannot replicate the unique qualities of nature, he only gets somewhat close to it and then at a price the average person cant afford. I am a strong advocate that the owners of Horses in Australia must take a different direction to the one they have been following all these years and this outbreak should be convincing enough with the tremendous losses for all involved in the Australian equine industry. What I will recommend is that every horse owner must start immediately feeding supplementary SALT LICKS and not just any brand or composition because all the other salt lick products were already heavily entrenched in the market prior to this outbreak so their effectiveness is very obvious, they are virtually a complete and total waste of money! They failed to achieve what they should be doing all along and that is maintain a healthy IMMUNE system. The ONLY SALT LICK I will recommend is HIMALAYAN HEALTH CRYSTAL or as its commonly known, rock salt from the Himalayas. The reason is simple, this is the ONLY ROCK SALT of its kind in the ENTIRE WORLD that has a unique crystalline structure whereby it has created CHELATED MINERALS and not just a handful theres 84 minerals and trace element in this rock salt in a balanced composition that does have significant effect when supplemented to Horses and all other Livestock and animals. Make no mistake about it this is a very sophisticated salt that does the job of keeping all Living things healthy. And man has not been able to synthesize it and even if he could the price would be astronomical and virtually unaffordable. I recommend that each horse owner in Australia contact the company MINROSA HIMALAYAN MINERAL ROCK SALT and get a supply today and start healing the animals with nutrition, not medicines. MINROSA can be found online with their international consultant MRSCorp. who locate the finest premium quality Himalayan rock salt that MINROSA import to Australia.
As many thousands of jobs and family livelihoods depend on the equine industry getting a supply of the premium quality Himalayan Health Crystals today will be none too soon.
I urge all horse owners to take the responsibility to do this today and over the next several weeks start to see the difference it makes when you provide your animals the best nutrition that nature has created. MINROSA was founded by Kym Staude, a farmer and stud sheep breeder in S.A. and they have trialed the rock salt with good success for their breeding stock and prime lamb breeding program. Already other livestock and horse owners are using these rock salt licks and satisfied they are better than other salt licks. You can be assured they contain NO additives or medicines. In the United States Of America these rock salt licks are very popular as they should be and US horse owners are both satisfied and delighted to be able to get them. If you are the owner of a horse(s) please take action today and contact MINROSA for your supply of HIMALAYAN HORSE SALT LICKS. Thank you.
Fred Ridgeway
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