A virus that took 100 per cent of the lives of the horses it infected–and four out of the seven humans–may have met its match.
A vaccine released late last week has been rushed through State and Federal Government trials. The release of the vaccine–following one of the most rapid research-to-release timelines in the history of vaccination–has started in the district, with local equine veterinarian Dr Tias Muurlink beginning vaccinations last week.
Since the first confirmed case in 1994, there have been more than 50 confirmed deaths from the disease, but tallying up the real toll has been hard.
“Because it is such a fatal disease, specimens cannot be handled in normal pathology laboratories,” says Tias. “Instead it has to be handled in Level 4 laboratories–think space suits and masks.”
For veterinarians such as Dr Muurlink, the release of the vaccine is a personal relief. “It is a devastating disease with no horses infected surviving, and that has been a tragedy for so many horse owners. Equally, for people caring for horses, the disease represents a real threat.”
While the reservoir for the virus is bats (flying foxes), infected horses in turn can shed large amounts of the lethal virus and this is the means by which people become infected,” says Tias.
The problem is that horses can begin transmitting the virus before they show clear signs of being sick–and during this stage, standard horse husbandry procedures like dentistry and tubing can prove fatal to handlers and vets alike.
“The new vaccine, which became available late last week, massively reduces the chances of horses becoming infected. This is very good news for horses and the people who have close contact with them. I would strongly encourage all horse owners to ensure their horses are vaccinated. In fact, this will become one of the most important husbandry procedures in these animals.”
Despite this, no vaccine is completely perfect, so the other precautions will still need to be followed closely. That includes keeping horses away from bat populations, especially during the early morning and evenings, and taking care to avoid contact with the body fluids of horses.
The vaccine has been released under permit to ensure it became available years sooner than it might have been, but this does mean strict conditions for its use have been imposed. The vaccine must be administered by an accredited veterinarian, and hoses must receive two doses exactly 21 days apart. All vaccinated horses must be microchipped, if they are not already, and details entered onto a database. This allows caregivers to easily identify if a horse has been vaccinated.
“Even though there has not been a case of Hendra in our local area, the bats and horses are here. It is very likely our horses are at risk in this area. It is my view we have a duty of care to our horses and the people around them to give them the best protection we have for this very deadly disease,” said Tias in conclusion.
