EI reports inaccurate

17 July 2009
DAFF09/005D

Recent reports of a horse testing positive for equine influenza in the Eastern Creek Quarantine Station are inaccurate.

Some horses that recently arrived at Eastern Creek from the UK and the US had developed signs of a respiratory infection and testing to date indicates it is not EI.

These horses have tested positive to equine herpes virus 4 which causes a mild respiratory disease, similar to the common cold, in horses. Equine herpes virus 4 is already present in Australia and most other countries, and is not a disease of quarantine concern.

Stronger biosecurity measures were put in place at government quarantine stations following the 2007 outbreak of EI, including a more stringent vaccination and testing regime for EI. With horses showing signs of respiratory disease additional testing was also carried out.

Accordingly, routine swabs were taken from all 23 horses on arrival in Australia on June 27 and 28 and again on 3 July. They were all negative to EI. Additional, swabs taken from horses that developed high temperatures—and others associated with them—have also tested negative to EI. This testing established that equine herpes virus 4 was circulating among these horses. As part of this process, suspect horses were also tested for the presence of EI antibodies and one horse has shown an increase in antibodies since it arrived from overseas. This does not represent a positive result for the presence of EI virus.

Further blood samples and the fifth and final routine swabs for EI virus have been taken from all 23 horses and these have been sent to the laboratory for testing. The horses will be held in quarantine until all test results confirm that all horses at the station are EI free.

Dr Andy Carroll
Chief Veterinary Officer (Australia)
Delegate to the OIE (Australia)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Further inquiries to: Media