E.I. INFORMATION
Issued 29 September 2008

Horse Riders Can Breath a Sigh of Relief over EI Scare

The retest results have come back negative.

The announcement of a possible positive EI test of a horse at the Eastern Creak Quarantine facility was made by Hon Ian Macdonald, NSW Primary Industries Minister at the EI Summit in Sydney on the 25th of September 2008.

As expected Dr. Ron Glanville (Queensland DPI&F) has since announced that the retest results of all horses at the Eastern Creek Quarantine facility have come back negative for EI.

EI Summit Preliminary Report

The EI Summit held in Sydney on Thursday 25th September 2008 which I attended on behalf of the QHC was extremely informative.

The main objective was providing evidence for and against continuing EI vaccination in Australia. The racing sector financed two overseas experts, Prof. Ann Cullinane a virologist from Ireland and Dr. David Powell an equine epidemiologist at the University of Kentucky, to speak at the summit.

The morning session consisted of 12 keynote speakers including the two overseas experts, Minister Macdonald, Any Caroll (Australian Chief Veterinary Officer), John Messara (Thoroughbred Breeders Association), Ann McDonald (National Manager of Animal Quarantine - AQIS) and various other departmental and industry speakers.

After lunch interactive discussions were based around three questions:

1. What was your experience with EI? What was the effect of EI on your business/horse usage?

2. What do you consider to be the major risk factors to be managed to avoid any future inclusion of EI into the national horse population? How should each of these risk factors be managed?

3. If a future incursion occurred, what would you prefer to see happen – nothing or something; if something, what response/outcome would you expect?

Answers to question one were as expected with everyone mentioning the severe financial and social burden the outbreak had on the industry.

The second question raised issues such as complacency within Quarantine facilities and the horse industry, shuttle stallions and other equine imports into Australia.

The answers to the third question were based around a paper titled: “Equine Influenza: National Discussion on the Management of a Future Incursion”. In this four proposals were put forward:

1. Continuing the Status Quo.

2. EI is considered an exotic disease, EADRA commitments continue, but quarantine and response measures are revised and adapted to prevent entry, improve disease detection and minimise industry disruption in the event of an outbreak. Vaccine is available for rapid strategic use in an incursion.

3. Ongoing vaccination with associated risk management measures, eradication policy is retained, and EI response remains cost-shareable.

4. Ongoing vaccination permitted for any horses, no cost shared eradication policy.

Options two and three appeared to be the most popular on the day.

Key issues raised on the day were:

Racing industry is only pushing for continuing vaccination for their sector;
they are not advocating it be mandatory for anyone else to continue vaccinating.

Racing looked at continuing vaccination as a second line of defence (first line being quarantine) and voiced they were prepared to pay for the entire process.

Harness are against continuing vaccination as they do not believe there is a compelling argument or scientific justification for on-going vaccination.

Continuing vaccination WILL mask clinical signs making the disease harder to detect if it enters the country.

On-going vaccination in a disease free or eradicated status will send mixed messages to the export community and Australia is in a unique situation wanting to vaccinate against an eradicated disease. This would mean if vaccination were to continue, stringent surveillance would be required to maintain an eradicated status, which would be very costly.

Racings second line defence (vaccination) could compromise the nations first line of defence (quarantine).

Vaccination would not permit the free movement of vaccinated horses during an outbreak.

Arising from the summit a committee will be formed to analyse the outcomes of the summit and evaluate options for future management of EI and biosecurity for EI and the role of vaccine in an EI free Australia. QHC will be considering a delegate for this committee.

Ian Macdonald is also compiling a high level working group to investigate voluntary vaccination and considering the costs and benefits of on-going vaccination.

A more comprehensive report on the summit will be available in due course after I receive the speakers notes.

Dr. Fiona Thompson BVSc (Hons)
Chief Executive Officer Queensland Horse Council Inc.
Level 5 Primary Industries Building
80 Ann Street, Brisbane Qld 4000
Telephone: (07) 3239 3192 Facsimile: (07) 3239 3504
Email: ceo@qldhorsecouncil.com

increase HORSE POWER, join the QHC
www.qldhorsecouncil.com
26th September 2008

Suspect Positive EI Result at Eastern Creek

The QHC urges members not to panic.

It is important to consider the facts that are at hand regarding the “weak” positive EI result returned from an imported British horse at Eastern Creek Animal Quarantine Station in New South Wales.

The following update has been provided by Allison Crook General Manager, Animal Biosecurity, Biosecurity Queensland, DPI&F

We are aware of reports of a suspect case of equine influenza in NSW.

Advice is that there is no reason for concern at this stage.

One of 74 horses being housed at the high security quarantine complex at the Eastern Creek quarantine station in Sydney yesterday returned a weak and indeterminant positive for equine influenza. However, when the horse was retested, it was negative.

All 74 horses are currently being retested as a precaution and the results should be through in the next couple of days.

It is important to note that the horse is contained in the quarantine station and has not been in contact with the general horse population. We'll keep you updated as we find out more.

The British horse, due to be released from quarantine today, had previously returned four negative tests for EI. But on its fifth and final test the sample came back as a "weak positive".

The sample was immediately retested, returning a negative result, and the federal Department of Agriculture last night received advice that the first of two final tests for EI at Eastern Creek had returned negative results for all 74 horses. Secondary confirmation was being sought from another independent testing facility in Victoria.

Federal Agriculture minister Tony Burke said he had been advised that all quarantine procedures, including decontamination as recommended by the Callinan inquiry into last year's outbreak, were being observed.

He said all the horses would remain at Eastern Creek until it was certain there was no risk of infection.

No horses will be leaving the Quarantine Station until final results confirm they are free of the disease.

"Quarantine arrangements for imported horses have been strengthened since the outbreak of equine influenza in 2007, including 24-hour security guards at Eastern Creek and a requirement for close monitoring and strict enforcement of quarantine procedures," Mr Burke said.

Other quarantine arrangements which have been strengthened since the 2007 horse flu outbreak include the new requirement for imported horses to provide two tests in pre-export quarantine (in their country of origin) and three tests in post-arrival quarantine in Australia.

References:

If you have further queries or concerns please contact the QHC’s CEO,

Dr. Fiona Thompson BVSc (Hons)
Chief Executive Officer Queensland Horse Council Inc.
Telephone: (07) 3239 3192 Facsimile: (07) 3239 3504
National Management Group: Equine Influenza
COMMUNIQUÉ
NMGEI08/17 12 June 2008
Penultimate NMG meeting ahead of EI freedom
The National Management Group (NMG) overseeing the response to equine influenza has held its 24th and what is hoped to be its penultimate meeting ahead of a declaration the country is free of the horse disease.

NMG received reports from all jurisdictions that active surveillance had found no new infected horses since 9 December 2007 in NSW and 25 December 2007 in Queensland and as a result Australia will declare itself free of the disease on 30 June.

NMG agreed that Australia’s robust animal disease response arrangements allowed Australia to eradicate the disease in a much faster time frame than was thought possible and acknowledged this success would have not have been possible without the support of the horse industry, the three levels of government, and the wider community.

Some facts about the response:
It took 125 days to eradicate the disease
The direct cost of the response is in excess of $100 million
There were more than 10 000 identified infected premises with more than 76 000 horses thought to have been infected
More than 300 000 doses of vaccine were administered, and
Since the last case was identified in December 2007, random surveillance in NSW and Queensland has been conducted at more than 1800 premises.

NMG is comprised of the Chief Executive Officers of the Commonwealth and state/territory departments of agriculture/primary industries across Australia and also the heads of the peak bodies representing the horse industry. It is chaired by the Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr Conall O’Connell.

Contacts:
Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Andy Carroll 02 6272 4644 / 0417 284 706
Chief Executive Australian Racing Board, Andrew Harding 0417 043 233
President Australian Horse Industry Council, Dr Barry Smyth 0417 549 189
Chief Executive Australian Harness Racing Council, Rod Pollock 03 9867 8033
To ensure that Queensland remains disease free the community's continued cooperation is essential.  Continued monitoring of the Queensland horse population and investigating any reports of suspect horses showing clinical signs of respiratory disease are vital in the declaration of our proof of freedom.  
Horse owners and Event Organisers are urged to report any suspect horse to their local experienced equine veterinarian.

The current requirements on event organisers are:
to register their event with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F),
Have a system in place to detect any horse that shows signs consistent with equine influenza, because on going surveillance for the disease is a requirement for international recognition of a country having disease free status.  If any horse has a nasal discharge, is coughing and has a temperature over 38.5 degrees Celsius it must be reported to DPI&F and a veterinarian will collect samples for exclusion testing (ruling out equine influenza).  We are very confident that no horses will have equine influenza, but there will be horses that show these clinical signs due to some other cause.

Competitors do not have to have a Waybill for travelling to an event.

2. Queensland Horse Inter-Zone Declaration
For use when transporting horses across zones interstate.
Complete a Queensland Horse Inter-zone Declaration before you travel interstate.
A completed Queensland Horse Inter-zone Declaration must accompany the horse to and from the event. When you arrive at the event, give a copy of your Queensland Horse Inter-zone Declaration to the event organiser.
On returning from the event store your Queensland Horse Inter-zone Declaration in a safe place. You must keep the document for two years.
This can be completed on-line through the website www.dpi.qld.gov.au or through the DPI&F Business Information Centre on free call 13 25 23.

3. Permits     
When moving horses across a tick line you will require a waybill or Queensland Horse Inter-zone Declaration, as well as Tick Treatment Declarations issued by an Inspector or approved person. The permit requirements will vary depending on the place of origin, the intended destination, and the time spent away from the place of origin. An inspection and treatment for cattle ticks may also be required.
Information on moving across the tick line can be obtained from your local DPI&F Biosecurity Inspector. Call 13 25 23 for the location of your nearest DPI&F Office.

So, basically, it's back to normal for the horse industry in Queensland.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the DPI&F Business Information Centre on free call 13 25 23.
QUEENSLAND GOES FROM 'GREEN' TO "WHITE"

The current Green Zone in SE Queensland disappeared on 30th June and we will now not be required to fill out waybills for horse movements (except for horses crossing the tick line).

Although international recognition may not occur until 25 December 2008, Australia officially declared freedom on 30 June 2008

Dr Ron Glanville, Chief Veterinary Officer, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries was extremely happy to oversee this transition and proudly announced that eradication of this highly contagious disease under the circumstances of operation in Australia and within such a short time frame was unprecedented on a world scale.

Dr Glanville added that despite the well known adverse impacts on the industry and individual horse owners, eradication was an achievement for which we should all be proud and that it has certainly enhanced the international reputation of our equine industries and our animal health system.

Dr Glanville thanked the equine community for their support and co-operation and said that this could not have been achieved without everyone pulling together.