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Many Queensland horses no longer infectious
News release | 15 November, 2007
Many properties infected by Equine Influenza at the start of the outbreak in late August-early September can now be classed as not infected. This means many more horses can be considered for an essential movement permit.
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Chief Veterinary Officer Ron Glanville said most horses infected during the early period would have recovered by now and would no longer be infectious.
"Equine Influenza has been in Queensland for 12 weeks and it generally takes two to three weeks for a horse to stop shedding the virus," he said.
"We´re now at the stage where we can reconsider the status of IPs in Warwick, Minden, Tamborine, Rosewood and Brisbane´s western suburbs.
"Since August 25 the number of infected properties has reached about 2200, but the number of properties with horses shedding virus is now much lower because many horses have completely recovered."
Horse owners can apply online to have their properties officially declared ´Resolved´ or no longer infectious.
Criteria for assessment include clinical records and the number of days since the last horse developed clinical signs of horse flu.
There are a number of options for how this can occur depending on the standard of the clinical records that were kept for individual properties. Depending on the option chosen, a property can be "resolved" either 30 days, 44 days, or 60 days after infection.
If a property meets the criteria its status will be changed from Infected to Resolved, which means the ´horses are recovered and no longer regarded as infected and live virus is no longer present on the property´. The Resolved status applies to the whole property, not to individual horses.
Permits can not be issued until a property´s resolved status is formalised.
Dr Glanville said having your property´s status changed from Infected to Resolved was an important step towards eventual freeing up of movement restrictions in the south east Queensland Red Zone.
"You will still need a permit to move a horse from a Resolved property, but it will make the process a bit easier," he said.
For more information visit our Equine Influenza website or call 13 25 23.
Media contact: Mark Hodder, +61 7 3239 0698 or 0421 618 871
