A couple of days ago, I reported about a deadly outbreak on a Queensland farm that had killed a significant number of horses. A definitive diagnosis has still not been made, but it is starting to look like botulism might be the cause. In my previous assessment, I said botulism was a potential cause of an
Queensland Horse Deaths Being Investigated
There’s still no confirmed cause of death for 19 horses that died within a short period of time on a Kooralbyn, Queensland (Australia) farm. Sudden death and Queensland invariably conjures up thoughts of Hendra virus, considering the large number of Hendra cases that have occurred in the area this year, but that particular disease has
Who’s Better At Biosecurity?
There are a lot of recommendations out there for establishing or improving sound infection control practices on horse farms, many of which can be found on this very blog. Some refer to such practices as "biosecurity," but what’s done on horse farms compared to the often very strict biosecurity protocols at facilities such as swine
Economic Impact Of Aussie Horse Flu
A huge equine influenza virus outbreak occurred in Australia in 2007 – a classic example of what can happen when a virus gets into an area where it’s never been before. There were huge numbers of affected horses and a massive disruption to the industry due to quarantines and other control measures.
MRSA In Aussie Horses
In the early 2000s, we took a lot of bad publicity in Ontario (particularly at the Ontario Veterinary College) because of MRSA in horses. While MRSA had been found in horses before and there were anecdotal reports of MRSA infections and outbreaks in different areas, the fact that we intensively investigated the issue and published a
Hendra-exposed dog euthanized
Dusty, the dog who tested positive for Hendra virus exposure on a Queensland farm, has been euthanized. The owners confirmed through their Member of Parliament that their pet had been euthanized voluntarily, rather than waiting for Biosecurity Queensland to compel them to do so.
Based on publicly available information, this seems like an illogical and
More on dogs and Hendra virus
Neil Fearon and his family have lost three horses to Hendra virus, and are concerned about one other. They are now dealing with the implications of their dog, a Kelpie named Dusty, having tested positive for Hendra virus antibodies in its blood. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the presence of antibodies in the blood
Hendra virus in a dog
Adding a new twist to the already very concerning situation in Australia, Hendra virus infection has now also been identified in a dog. It’s been a bad year for Hendra virus in Australia, with larger numbers of cases of this highly fatal disease in horses in a geographic range that seems to be expanding.
Bat cull for Hendra virus prevention?
As Australia faces a particularly bad year for Hendra virus, with possible expansion of the range of this serious disease, there have been calls for a mass cull of flying foxes (fruit bats). These bats are the reservoir of the virus but also a protected species. The virus lives in the bats and is
Murray Valley encephalitis suspected in Aussie man and horses
Yesterday, I wrote an equIDblog post about an outbreak of unexplained neurological disease in horses in the Murray River region of Australia. Today, a ProMed report indicates that Murray Valley encephalitis is now being considered as a possible cause of death in a man from the area.
Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) is one of