New Hendra case - Mackay Queensland

The Queensland CVO Dr Allison Crook has contacted EVA to advise that a private veterinarian has diagnosed a positive Hendra case in a 21-year-old UNVACCINATED Arab X horse from the Mackay region, Qld, Thursday 7 July.

The positive HeV PCR results were confirmed at the Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory. This is the first confirmed case of Hendra virus in Queensland since 2017.

The horse was reported to be off its food and had difficulty chewing food on Wednesday 6 July, was staggering, disoriented, and had a swollen muzzle on Thursday 7 July. The horse was euthanased.

All veterinarians and staff are reminded that the signs and symptoms of Hendra can be vague and variable depending on the stage of the disease, so please utilise Personal Protective Equipment with horses that present suspect clinical signs. This is another stark reminder that vaccination of horses with Hendra vaccination is the cornerstone of preventing this fatal viral disease, and this should continue to be communicated to horses owners.

Further information can found on the AVA website Hendra section and the NSW Government and QLD Government sites. Two excellent EVA Videos on PPE for veterinarians are available HERE.

If you have any questions, please email the EVA Executive Officer Jeffrey Wilkinson.