Biosecurity Queensland has advised a positive Hendra virus case was diagnosed last Thursday 25 May in a paddock pony in the Gold Coast hinterland.
The case was diagnosed by a private veterinarian who is confirmed to have been wearing Personal Protective Equipment at the time. The infected pony, which was not vaccinated against Hendra virus, has been euthanased and another unvaccinated horse on the property is being monitored.
Biosecurity Queensland is now managing the case and has quarantined the property.
Spokesperson for the Australian Veterinary Association, Dr Ben Poole, said it was critical that horses located in high risk Hendra areas are vaccinated against Hendra virus.
“It is even more important that horses from these areas are vaccinated when they compete in events where there are horses and people coming together in large numbers. It provides a horse health and welfare benefit, and a public health benefit,” he said.
This latest diagnosis, along with two recent incidents where a horse show at Brookfield was disrupted by a suspected Hendra case, and another at Kilkivan where the owner of a sick horse falsified horse health declaration documentation, underscores the need for vaccinating horses against Hendra virus.
“Horse Health Declarations (HHD’s) cannot be relied upon to provide protection from this insidious disease,” Dr Poole said.
“Equine vets work closely with horse owners and event organisers to help make Australian horses and horse sports as safe and successful as possible. It’s impossible for an owner of a sick horse, or their veterinarian to determine by examining it whether it has contracted Hendra virus infection.”
Dr Poole said testing for the disease takes time and delays possible live-saving therapies.
