Dog Contracts Hendra

[Pjrt]

link

A DOG infected with the deadly Hendra virus has been put down on the NSW mid-north coast, where a total of four horses have recently died from the virus.

The incident follows the Hendra death of a horse from the same property near Macksville on July 4.

"It is most likely that the dog caught the virus from the infected horse following close contact," NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Ian Roth said.

The dog, along with two remaining horses and two other dogs, previously tested negative two days after the horse's death.

More monitoring, testing and quarantining of the remaining animals will happen before they are cleared of the virus.

A total of four horses have died from Hendra in Macksville and nearby Kempsey since June.

[dotdashdot]

That's a little too close for comfort. Got a dog show in Kempsey next weekend!

[Dame Aussie]

[sandgrubber]

Can anybody explain 'close contact' between dog and horse? Is it entirely clear that the dog was not bitten by a bat?

[Rozzie]

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/horses/health/general/hendra-virus/domestic-animals-qanda

Reading that, it seems it is a puzzle how the dog contracted it.

[BlackJaq]

A dog has previously contracted it also on a property with affected horses. I believe this was last year in QLD.

I don't think they figured out exactly how the dog got it but people can contract it through horse saliva and snot so maybe eating infected manure might do the same for the dog? I can only guess.

Dogs had previously been infected in lab conditions only. Not sure if other animals like cats might be susceptible?

ETA: Oh my bad, it seems Rozzie's link already had that info

Edited July 20, 2013 by BlackJaq

[Rozzie]

There doesn't seem to be much that's conclusive.... 'might' 'unlikely'

[OSoSwift]

Thats a worry,

Mainly the not knowing how and all the maybe don't really knows.............

Edited July 20, 2013 by OSoSwift

[BlackJaq]

I guess they might not want to alarm people when they have no proof either way? Duno

[Rosetta]

Apparently there has been some reluctance by horse owners to take up the new vaccination. Why would this be when it is such a devastating disease?

[pepe001]

Many reasons. Because it was invented only a couple of years ago and is virtually untested. I don't think a year worth of trials makes a product safe. Also death by Hendra is very very rare. The cost - a few hundred dollars for a vaccine that has been around for a year so no idea how long it lasts. For me the first reason is enough reason.

[wings]

Pepe001 sums it up pretty good. They're pushing the vaccine pretty hard at the horse community but haven't done the tests to guarantee safety for breeding animals (fertility and effects on unborn foals,) and longevity of the vaccine. Essentially they want us to pay through the nose to let our horses be the test subjects.

[Jumabaar]

From people so much more eloquent than me. I have seen the result of people waiting to hear if the horse they have treated has hendra, even with PPE they were not in a good state of mind.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=543492932365995&id=368670773181546

QUESTIONS ABOUT HENDRA VACCINATION?

The story so far...

# Why should I do it? - Simple. Hendra kills horses, but it ALSO KILLS PEOPLE. Protect your own life and that of those you love. It should also be noted that restrictions have been placed on entries to Sydney Royal show and the Brisbane exhibition in that horses are not allowed to compete unless they are Hendra vaccinated. Some racing boards are also refusing starts to unvaccinated horses and it MAY BE in time that campdraft and rodeo committees impose similar regulations. More importantly, VETERINARIANS are now exercising their right to NOT attend a sick or injured horse that has not been vaccinated. Please remember, it is OUR LIFE too. So to ensure that your horse receives the veterinary care it needs should the occasion arise, please have them vaccinated.

# How safe is the vaccine? - Think of a chicken in an egg. The chicken is the hendra virus. The vaccine is made from the egg shell. It is NOT a live vaccine and your horse can NOT develop Hendra as a result of vaccination. The adverse reaction rate at this time is 0.22%. That means that only ONE HORSE in FIVE HUNDRED has a reaction to the vaccine. Most of these reactions are a small swelling at the injection site, which is not uncommon for any vaccine. No serious side effects have been registered to date.

# Can I vaccinate my stallion or pregnant mares? – At present there is no OFFICIAL data with regards to the safety of this vaccine in breeding animals. However, we would be more than happy to discuss this area with you and encourage you to contact us to do so.

# How often does my horse need to be given a vaccination? – At present, the initial course for Hendra vaccination is TWO doses, 21-42 days apart. Due to the ongoing nature of research into the duration of immunity provided by the vaccine, horse owners are currently giving SIX MONTHLY boosters to maintain immunity. Studies are continuing though and it is HOPED that these boosters will only need to be given annually. Please note, this is NOT confirmed yet, but we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

# Does my horse have to be microchipped? – YES. Every horse that receives a Hendra vaccination MUST be microchipped so that all relevant details may be added to a national database and remain traceable for research, demographic and identification purposes.

# We have heaps of horses. Is there a discount for large numbers? Does the government subsidise the vaccinations? – No, and no. Owning horses is a CHOICE (and a privilege) When you take on the responsibility of horse ownership, you take on the responsibility of providing ALL NECESSARY CARE AND ATTENTION. This is one of them. Make the CHOICE to vaccinate.

# Should I just do the competition horses and not worry about the old horses or those used for stockwork? – Remember that vaccinating against Hendra is to protect your horse AND YOU. If you choose only to vaccinate a select few, you are playing Russian roulette with your life. Those “old” horses that aren’t protected will be the ones that put YOU at risk. Protect them, and yourself. Also keep in mind that your stockhorses, even if they’re not world beaters, are paramount to your business as a grazier. They earn their keep. They work their butts off to help you earn YOUR living. Their value goes far beyond their pedigree (or lack of) and is not determined by bloodlines, price at auction or service fees.

# How much does it cost? – How much is your life worth? At present, Zoetis is offering horse owners the opportunity to receive their 21-42 day booster vaccination for FREE (This offer is valid until July 31st only and professional fees do still apply) In general, the cost of ONE VACCINATION is about the same as ONE SHOEING for your horse per year (also keep in mind that farriers, chiropractors, horse dentists etc may also exercise their right to NOT provide their services in the future to unvaccinated horses) In the scheme of things, when you add up the annual cost of worming, shoeing, dentistry, rugging, feeding, competition nominations etc etc etc, the cost of vaccinating for Hendra is nominal. The cost of NOT vaccinating, is colossal.

Update from Dr David Lovell regarding the Hendra Virus Vaccine.

David K Lovell BVSc MACVSc Redlands Veterinary Clinic, 433 Boundary Rd, Thornlands QLD 4164. Ph: 07 32077325 M: 0419 748417

There certainly are a lot of very grave misconceptions out there regarding the Hendra vaccinations. Yes, the Hendra vaccine is not yet registered for “open” use on horses. Arrival at that status will still take some considerable time, probably even yet another year or so.

The only reason that the vaccine has been released as a vet only vaccine is because of emotive and constant demands by the horse industry for the authorities “to do something” to protect horses and humans from dying due to Hendra infection.

I find it mind boggling, and very, very disappointing to see and hear the current outcry that has been going on since the vaccine was released. Yes, it has been released under “special permit”, only because of the pressure that was being placed on governments to do something. To do otherwise would mean a delay of possibly 3 – 5 years before final approval and registration could be achieved. How many more horses and people would die before that happened?

A very large amount of testing has in fact been done up to this point. What is known, is that the vaccine is extremely effective. It provides a very, very high level of immunity and protection. Also, it is known that the vaccine is extremely safe. Over 20,000 doses have now been used and there have been reports of possibly a maximum of 50 instances of some reaction, and those have only been minor local reactions at the injection site. Who could possibly object?

The only issue with breeding animals is that the trials have not been completed. The very nature of having to trial the dose on pregnant animals means that it will take many years to complete. That is all that it means. Before it can be approved officially and registered for breeding animals, the work has to be done. There would be absolutely no adverse effects on breeding as such. The only possible scenario for trouble could be giving the vaccine to a heavily pregnant mare. Every heavily pregnant mare has to treated with caution as they are so prone to miscarriage. The reality is that any managerial procedure should be avoided if possible in this category of horse.

Let’s get down to tin tacks. One of the main objections to the vaccine is cost. Yes it is a cost, and a not inconsiderable cost particularly for owners with larger numbers of horses. Production and development of any drug or vaccine involves an enormous outlay by the developers.

Who is supposed to pay? Surely the end user. It would appear that the horse owning public had expected the “government” to bear the cost. For what possible reason? No one could expect the pensioner in a retirement village, the unit dweller in the city, or any of the millions of tax paying citizens out there who have nothing to do with horses to subsidise the pleasure activities of the relatively small numbers in the population who choose to own horses. As you well know, a horse is an extremely expensive commodity to own or be paying up for. This is another cost, but the reality is that the cost of the vaccine, relative to all the other expenses involved in horse ownership, is only a small component. More to the point, what is the cost of not vaccinating. Your beloved pet dying, yourself dying, or worst of all, someone that you know, coming in contact with your horse, contracting the disease and dying. It can only be regarded as irresponsible for anyone choosing to own a horse, not to have it vaccinated.

Thankfully there is now an extremely effective mechanism for protecting horses and people for Hendra virus. The logical evolution in the soon to be foreseeable future, is that it will come to be regarded as negligence for a horse owner not to utilise available technology to protect themselves and those people around them, from the possibility of Hendra disease. This will apply in particular to employers involved in the horse industry. Workplace Health and Safety will dictate that all workers need to be protected.

I cannot speak for the RNA as to the reasons for their decision, however, it would appear very logical that public liability would be very high on the list that may have been behind their thinking. Of all the horse events and functions, the Brisbane Show would have to be one that would be in the higher risk category. At this show, many horses are stabled on the grounds for an extended period of time, (up to 2 weeks as you know). The incubation period for Hendra disease in the horse is known to be up to 16 days, therefore a horse could be perfectly normal when brought to the precinct, but may have contacted a bat in the days or weeks prior to coming, and not become ill until having been on the grounds for some time. Imagine the fiasco. Hundreds of horses quarantined in those stables at the exhibition. That alone would be an unthinkable disaster, not to mention the horror of a human contracting the disease. This decision is a so called “no brainer”.

In my opinion, they would be negligent not to insist that the now available unbelievably effective means of protection, not be a requirement. The horse industry should be lauding and congratulating them for their foresight, not whinging about the couple of hundred dollars that people who choose to own an already extremely expensive commodity, have to pay for protection. Rest assured, this form of thinking among event organisers, service providers, and anyone that has anything to do with the horse industry, will become the norm.

I could go on forever. We are being inundated with requests for comment, and what I have tried to do here is give you some general perceptions, and hopefully valid reasons as to why vaccination of horses against Hendra disease is essential.

My comments are not meant to be specific or related to anyone in particular. I am merely attempting to “get a message across”

Regards

David K Lovell BVSc MACVSc Redlands Veterinary Clinic 433 Boundary Rd Thornlands 4164 07 32077325 0419 748417

PS: Yes, the government did pay for the Equine Influenza vaccine. I suspect that this is where the public expectation has come form that they should also pay for Hendra. There can be absolutely no comparison between the two. Hendra disease is very rare. Yes, the personal costs to the unfortunate individual who experiences the disease are enormous, the overall cost to the community is negligible. The outbreak of EI that we did have in 2007 cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars. Allowing the influenza virus to become established in the country would mean that these massive losses would go on and on forever. There was a very real public benefit in the government contributing to the control and remarkable eradication that occurred.

[tdierikx]

PS: Yes, the government did pay for the Equine Influenza vaccine. I suspect that this is where the public expectation has come form that they should also pay for Hendra. There can be absolutely no comparison between the two. Hendra disease is very rare. Yes, the personal costs to the unfortunate individual who experiences the disease are enormous, the overall cost to the community is negligible. The outbreak of EI that we did have in 2007 cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars. Allowing the influenza virus to become established in the country would mean that these massive losses would go on and on forever. There was a very real public benefit in the government contributing to the control and remarkable eradication that occurred.

Interesting...

Would that "economic disaster" have anyting to to with the fact that sick horses don't run, and can't be bet on?

T.

[Crisovar]

Hendra may be rare but when it does appear it is devastating. Hendra kills people. My horses have just received their 6month booster, the lives of my family and Vets are worth far more than the small cost to vaccinate.

[KatrinaM]

My concern is that we use it on breeding animals and find out it is like West Nile vaccine. I'm on the fence for now

[darlingdog]

I work as a professional horse groom. Where I work no horse comes in for training or lessons without having been vaccinated. I love my job but its not worth dying for. I believe my life and all the others who are in close contact with horses, is more important than any breeding future of a mare or stallion you may own who you believe may be adversely affected. Regarding the dogs who are testing positive..in my opinion it will be because they ate manure from the infected horse or horses. The dogs SO love to eat manure.

[KatrinaM]

I'd hate to see anybody die, but id like to see more testing before its widespread use. A vet told me yesterday it's 100% that you can't catch hendra if youve been vaccinated. Yet the horses still shed the same antibodies as a horse with the disease. Bats aren't a problem where I live but I'd still like some more information before I vaccinate. I'd like to know how dogs catch the disease and if having vaccinated horses test positive can lead to having dogs that test positive.

[Crisovar]

I can actually see a time when Vets will refuse to treat unvaccinated horses, we are already seeing mixed practice Vets dropping equine work, and some equine vets have stopped all together.

Any horse showing signs of illness needs to be treated with suspicion and that means even if you suspect mild colic,or a cold, don't take risks, glove up, make yards dog proof, fence off manure piles. Hendra means making changes to the way we have always done things, because human lives are at risk. Even with the deaths we have had parents are still allowing children to handle the heads of sick horses, even kissing their muzzles.

I love my horses, but I value human life so much more, I have seen first hand the agony of waiting for the test results to come back in a after human exposure.

It is a no brainer for me.

[Jumabaar]

I'd hate to see anybody die, but id like to see more testing before its widespread use. A vet told me yesterday it's 100% that you can't catch hendra if youve been vaccinated. Yet the horses still shed the same antibodies as a horse with the disease. Bats aren't a problem where I live but I'd still like some more information before I vaccinate. I'd like to know how dogs catch the disease and if having vaccinated horses test positive can lead to having dogs that test positive.

Horses who have been vaccinated only have antibodies for the G protein, which can be differentiated from from antibodies to the entire, live virus- there are tests for this and they are being used, however they are more expensive so its really only the researchers using them at this stage.

It would not be possible for a dog to then test positive from a vaccinated horse as it is only a protein being used in the vaccination rather than the entire virus which is what is used in most Canine and feline vaccines and possibly what your more used to seeing and hearing about. Because its only a protein it means it cant replicate or infect anything else.

ETA the last two cases in NSW havent had bat problems either. We just dont know enough about whats going on to say that 'my horses are not at risk' because we dont definitively know what puts them at risk!

Edited July 21, 2013 by Jumabaar