Hendra Virus

[oakway]

THE deadly Hendra virus has been detected in a dog on a Queensland farm,

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/hendra-virus-detected-in-dog-on-farm-near-beaudesert-in-queensland/story-e6frfku0-1226102090938#ixzz1TBYVoPcO'>http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/hendra-virus-detected-in-dog-on-farm-near-beaudesert-in-queensland/story-e6frfku0-1226102090938#ixzz1TBYVoPcO

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/hendra-virus-detected-in-dog-on-farm-near-beaudesert-in-queensland/story-e6frfku0-1226102090938

[Fatsofatsoman]

was just reading this - sad for the family as the dog is fine. But in reality pts is the only option.

[fuzzy82]

The dog doesn't actually have the virus though. Just the anti-bodies to it, which means it did have the virus at some point, but doesn't anymore.

[oakway]

No way should this dog be PTS.

We need the dog to determine the degree of Hendra in the dog.

Who knows, dogs may have carried this disease for years with out passing it on.

If the dog is put down we will never find out anything about the disease in the dog.

My suggestion would be to test every dog that has/could have been in contact.

Anyone know if dogs are routinely tested along with their humans that have come in contact with this insidious disease.

[poodlefan]

The dog doesn't actually have the virus though. Just the anti-bodies to it, which means it did have the virus at some point, but doesn't anymore.

In which case, it might be quite useful from a medical perspective. Poor dog's probably wondering what hit it.

[oakway]

If the dog is carrying anti bodies we may already have a crude cure in the dog.

[RottnBullies]

The dog doesn't actually have the virus though. Just the anti-bodies to it, which means it did have the virus at some point, but doesn't anymore.

In which case, it might be quite useful from a medical perspective. Poor dog's probably wondering what hit it.

My thoughts too, I can't understand why they can't use this to their advantage In learning more on this disease, rather than just kill the dog and be done with It

[Showpony]

The dog doesn't actually have the virus though. Just the anti-bodies to it, which means it did have the virus at some point, but doesn't anymore.

In which case, it might be quite useful from a medical perspective. Poor dog's probably wondering what hit it.

My thoughts too, I can't understand why they can't use this to their advantage In learning more on this disease, rather than just kill the dog and be done with It

Hi,

The dog has tested for anti bodies not virus....which means the dog's immune system has dealt with the virus.......I agree, the dog should not be PTS but investigated a bit more.........unfortunately the one and only horse that recovered from Hendra was PTS, could have learnt alot more from this.......but it was deemed too dangerous at the time.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Showpony

[RottnBullies]

Well I would think all the more reason why this dog shouldn't be PTS then, he Is not a danger to anyone!

Far out surely owners can fight this can they not

And a horse actually recovered from It and was then also killed! I just don't get It

[cmkelpie]

I would be devastated if I was told that my healthy, asymptomatic dog would be destroyed. It scares me that the Government has this power. And yes I understand it is to protect humans and stop the spreading of this virus but I feel physically sick at the thought of it

Edited July 26, 2011 by cmkelpie

[Showpony]

I would be devastated if I was told that my healthy, asymptomatic dog would be destroyed. It scares me that the Government has this power. And yes I understand it is to protect humans and stop the spreading of this virus but I feel physically sick at the thought of it

Hi,

It just been reported on ABC News the dog is to be put down

[luvsdogs]

I would be devastated if I was told that my healthy, asymptomatic dog would be destroyed. It scares me that the Government has this power. And yes I understand it is to protect humans and stop the spreading of this virus but I feel physically sick at the thought of it

Hi,

It just been reported on ABC News the dog is to be put down

I just heard that too on 10 news. Said cats, pigs, guinea pigs can get it too.

Edited July 26, 2011 by luvsdogs

[Danielle]

The hendra virus Is a retrovirus which lies dormant but can reappear and rear it's ugly head again. When a virus like this comes back, the host then" sheds" the virus, making the virus contractable to those around it. This is why the recovered horse was put to sleep and it's probably why the dog will be put to sleep too.

A man in mackay contracted hendra virus and recovered, only for it to come back a year later and claim his life.

All this information I got from a Hendra Virus Seminar run by the CSIRO, Biosecurity QLD and the DPI a week ago.

The dog should be pts.

[oakway]

The hendra virus Is a retrovirus which lies dormant but can reappear and rear it's ugly head again. When a virus like this comes back, the host then" sheds" the virus, making the virus contractable to those around it. This is why the recovered horse was put to sleep and it's probably why the dog will be put to sleep too.

A man in mackay contracted hendra virus and recovered, only for it to come back a year later and claim his life.

All this information I got from a Hendra Virus Seminar run by the CSIRO, Biosecurity QLD and the DPI a week ago.

The dog should be pts.

Thank you for letting us know more about the Hendra virus as a retrovirus.

I think we will understand the virus better from now on.

I believe that many of us were hoping that it may have been an end to this dreaded disease.

[rubiton]

So its now horses, people and dogs - are they ever going to cull the damn things that have set up home in populated areas. This rubbish about stressed and therefore sheeding the virus - well its not like it would go on for long unlike this 'oh well just kill the horses and dogs that a positive and hope the humans dont catch it coz the poor little bats have to be safe'.

However the enviromentalists dont want to tell the difference between removing creatures that are a threat to human populated areas and ones out in the wild where they arent bothering anyone. So glad they havent migrated to Sa yet though it does seemthey are heading slowly into NSW. And they wont even test the bat populations for it either - how hard would that be compred to killing all other animals that they infect.

Yes several horses survived the first time way back in the early 90s and the poor vet worked so hard to try and save them and ultimately DPI decided it wasnt worth the risk and ordered the survivors be put down anyway so now if a horse is positive its dead end of story.

[Showpony]

The hendra virus Is a retrovirus which lies dormant but can reappear and rear it's ugly head again. When a virus like this comes back, the host then" sheds" the virus, making the virus contractable to those around it. This is why the recovered horse was put to sleep and it's probably why the dog will be put to sleep too.

A man in mackay contracted hendra virus and recovered, only for it to come back a year later and claim his life.

All this information I got from a Hendra Virus Seminar run by the CSIRO, Biosecurity QLD and the DPI a week ago.

The dog should be pts.

Hi Danielle,

Yes,and thanks for the extra information. I remember seeing an Australian Story/documentry about Ben Kenean and his wife Jill. Ben was a vet who died of Hendra. They did an interview with his vet nursed who recovered from the virus......I know understand why she made the comment that all she can do is live one day at a time and that she was making sure it was to the fullest.

[gsdog2]

Hi Danielle,

Yes,and thanks for the extra information. I remember seeing an Australian Story/documentry about Ben Kenean and his wife Jill. Ben was a vet who died of Hendra. They did an interview with his vet nursed who recovered from the virus......I know understand why she made the comment that all she can do is live one day at a time and that she was making sure it was to the fullest.

Apparently the vet nurse you have mentioned is still not well

[WoofnHoof]

I think that we need to find out exactly how widespread this virus is among our animals but until they review the policy regarding euthing recovered animals very few people are going to volunteer healthy animals for testing. If we knew how widespread the disease is and the incidences and frequency of relapse we could better evaluate the risk but as it stands we are going in blind.

Attempting to cull the bats is not only ineffective it's also unethical.

[Elise+Hudson]

From what I last heard was that Hendra virus was found in something close to 30% of all bat populations in Australia, and this covered the entire mainland, so not just coastal QLD and NSW.

It is very sad about the dog, but we just don't know enough about it so say with 100% certainty that the dog may not shed the virus down the track, now what a terrible tragedy that may have been.

[rubiton]

Wouldnt that be lyssavirus (or however its spelt) they carry that carers need the vaccination for - they wont test them for the hendra virus.

And whats better culling bats in populated areas of killing horses, dogs and letting people who get infected die. Someone with connections to the fruitgrowers up there commented how ever since the fruit growers couldnt cull one or two bats that were spotting for the rest they now have colonys setting up and destroying crops - prior to that they went elsewhere (probably back out to the bush where they hurt no one and no domestic animals).

When there is plagues of others things like locusts, rabbits,mice etc they are happen to try and eliminate them but as bats are seen as 'cute' they arent considered worth dealing with - better to kill pets as they are tested positive and hope any humans dont get it.