Posts (page 3)

There are 947 infected properties (IP's) in Queensland an increase of 19 from yesterday. Significant new IPs were at the Ipswich racetrack, Mount Nebo (approximately 30 km west of Brisbane), Preston and Greenmount.

There are currently 3 776 Infected Properties (IPs), 387 Dangerous Contact Properties (DCPs) and 429 Suspect Properties (SPs).

The number of cases to date is staying within the ‘optimistic’ projection for the disease outbreak. DPI epidemiologists predicted more than 2 weeks ago that there would be about 4,000 IP’s.  Disease transfer via human movements seems to be the source of the recent cases confirmed, and we are continue to be grateful to the majority of horse owners who are doing all they can to maintain the high standards of biosecurity required to combat the spread of EI.

Planning is progressing on a proposal for extensions of the purple zone to free up movements within areas of high horse density already heavily infected.

Movements

The Amber Zone has been reclassified from a Control Area to a Restricted Area – this means the department can respond even more quickly with restrictions on movement and access where a new infection property is confirmed in the Amber Zone, as happened with the case confirmed at Barmedan in the south-west of the state on Saturday.

The situation will continue to change, but the map on the department website has been updated to reflect recent changes and is currently showing the zoning boundaries as at 11 am today. See ‘Find your zone’ currently located at:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/horse/influenza/movements/zoning

Vaccinations

The vaccination of horses in buffer zones continues across the State. Additional vet teams are being organised for Wellington Local Vaccination Centre, and training for vets organised through the Mudgee LVC starts today.

If you believe you are in a buffer zone in the Armidale, Dubbo, Berry, Gloucester or Parkes/Forbes areas, and you haven’t yet been contacted about the vaccination occurring in the zone, please ring the Hotline on 1800 675 888 or fill in a vaccination enquiry – Buffer Zones form from the website (see under ‘Vaccinations’ – follow the links from http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/equine-influenza

An LVC has been set up at Temora to deal with horses on properties within 10 km of the Barmedan infected property.

Community meetings

Tonight there are community meetings in Narromine and Merriwa; tomorrow night’s meetings are at Berry, Denman and Dubbo.

Dubbo district readers should note that the venue for the Dubbo meeting has been changed from the Showground to the Dubbo RSL (time stays the same, 7 pm, Tuesday 9 October). This change was suggested to help ensure strict biosecurity, avoiding the risk of horse owners meeting at a venue where horses are stabled.

IN THE NEWS

Community meetings to provide accurate information about the disease and how it is spread will help horse owners control the disease. Dates have been set for the Upper and Lower Hunter, Central West, Central Coast, South Coast Sydney/Southern Highlands, with others now being organised for the New England/North West and other locations – watch the ‘Community meetings’ web page from the EI website page for details. See the full media release at http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/ei-community-meetings-get-under-way

NSW police patrols dedicated to controlling the movement of horses into and out of purple zones have been in force from today on the New England Highway from Sydney to Tamworth, and the Golden Highway from Dubbo to Newcastle. Trucks leaving the purple zone need to show that inspection or disinfection has been carried out on their vehicles and that they are not transporting any horses or horse products.  http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/police-target-horse-vehicles

The early action of their owners in reporting signs of EI for two horses at Barmedan may have helped restrict the area affected in their region. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/green-zone-horses-test-ei-positive-at-barmedman

And for horse owners right across the Buffer Zones, the headline of one of Sunday’s media releases says it all: ‘Horse owners welcome vets with open arms’. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/ei-horses-owners-welcome-vets-with-open-arms

There are currently 3343 Infected Properties (IPs), 346 Dangerous Contact Properties (DCPs) and 383 Suspect Properties (SPs).  Encouraging progress is being made towards the eradication of equine influenza through the implementation of the vaccination buffer zones.

Over 700 vaccinations have been administered across NSW since the start of the month.

Spread within NSW is continuing, however the rate of new infections is still declining and case numbers are continuing to fall below long-term projected numbers slightly.

The occurrence of EI at Forbes is disappointing. There is a strong link between the Parkes and Forbes communities and the disease has most likely been introduced via poor biosecurity control practices. The numbers of IPs in the Forbes region is expected to increase as EI spreads through the peri-urban Forbes horse population.

Victorian Premier John Brumby yesterday announced $2.2 million in programs to reinforce measures to help keep Victoria free of Equine Influenza and protect the Spring Racing Carnival. Making the announcement while launching the Spring Racing Carnival at Federation Square, Brumby said the Victorian racing industry was worth more than $2 billion to the State’s economy and employed 70,000 people.

“The new measures are extra support for long-term initiatives to protect Victoria from Equine Influenza, Mr Brumby said.

“The racing industry and the Spring Racing Carnival are important for Victoria and the rest of Australia, so it is important that government and industry do all that we can to guard against Equine Influenza coming to Victoria.”

Brumby said Victoria had secured enough vaccines to inoculate all Victorian horses in training for the Spring Carnival, and an extra 130,000 doses of the vaccine were scheduled to arrive in Australia on Friday. “Securing the vaccines does not mean we can let up on our vigilance and compliance,” he said. “The risk of Equine Influenza hitting Victoria is still high. The Government and industry must keep up our efforts to ensure the Spring Carnival proceeds without being affected by Equine Influenza.”

Brumby said the $2.2 million package includes:

$950,000 for an intensive public awareness campaign along the border with NSW, at Melbourne Airport and at Spring Racing Carnival venues;

$500,000 for grants to not-for-profit recreational horse organisations that have cancelled events to help reduce the risk of EI entering Victoria;

$350,000 for enhanced surveillance activity involving private practitioners testing for EI;

$205,000 for improved diagnostic equipment to be used by DPI; and

$200,000 to assist with improved compliance with border controls.

Brumby said the DPI had deployed round-the-clock border patrols at the Victoria/NSW border. “These measures have helped ensure to date that Victoria remains EI-free despite the outbreak in NSW.” he said, stressing the new measures would also build on the success of existing activities and support the recreational groups that have been affected by the horse flu outbreak. Victoria’s recreational horse organisations have been extremely co-operative during the current outbreak, and have voluntarily cancelled all meetings to minimise the risks of spreading Equine Influenza.”

Surrounded by champions past and present at the official launch of the Spring Carnival in the City yesterday, Brumby said this year’s Spring Racing Carnival, with the Melbourne Cup as the pinnacle, would definitely stop the nation. “The Spring Racing Carnival is the largest social event on Victoria’s calendar and each year puts Melbourne on the international map, drawing thousands of interstate and overseas visitors,” he said. “This year promises to be a fantastic spectacle, with strong country racing, a redeveloped Flemington Racecourse and a challenging international and local field of horses ready to take on spring racing in Victoria.”

Source: ANZ Bloodstock News 4 October 2007

The Federal Government’s Callinan Equine Influenza Inquiry conducted its first proceedings in Sydney yesterday.

Counsel assisting Tony Meagher QC gave an opening address and spoke to the terms of reference of the Inquiry and outlined the various scenarios through which the equine influenza outbreak may have occurred that will be investigated by the Inquiry.

Applications for leave to appear were granted to:-

 Australian Racing Board, together with the Australian Harness Racing Council, TBA and Aushorse
 The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
 State of NSW
 State of Queensland
 Australian Veterinarians Association
 Australian Horse Industry Council
 Livestock Transport Group

Consideration of applications by Animal Health Australia and in NSW Farmers Federation has been deferred. Individual applications by three veterinarians have also been deferred, though the possibility was mentioned that these people might be invited to give evidence as opposed to being granted leave to appear as a party to the Inquiry.

The next public hearing of the Inquiry will take place on 8th November.

Counsel assisting the inquiry, Tony Meagher, SC, said it appeared some vets and others attended horses without wearing protective clothing or following decontamination procedures.

Meagher also said prior to the outbreak of EI, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) had no after-hours presence at the Eastern Creek facility.

Meagher suggested three possible scenarios as to how the equine influenza virus, which was first detected in a stallion at Eastern Creek, spread through NSW and Queensland:-

1. A person or persons accompanying horses on the trip to Australia had prior contact with an infected horse.
2. It was transmitted on materials or contact by a person or persons who attended horses at Eastern Creek.
3. It was already present at Eastern Creek and became airborne, which was most unlikely.

NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said that the Inquiry “needs to move as swiftly as possible to determine just how Equine Influenza entered NSW.”

Macdonald said the Inquiry was of vital importance to the NSW horse industry. “We need to know just how this exotic disease got into Australia for the first time. And we need to know as soon as possible.

“We need to know how the Federal quarantine system was breached, how horse flu arrived in the country and how it escaped from the Federal quarantine station at Eastern Creek.

There’s no doubt the outbreak has had disastrous consequences for all horse owners in NSW and inconvenienced many thousands of people.

As of today there are more than 28,000 horses infected with EI in NSW alone on more than 3000 properties.

Source: ANZ Bloodstock News 4 October 2007

SITUATION UPDATE

There are currently 3178 Infected Properties (IPs), 330 Dangerous Contact Properties (DCPs) and 380 Suspect Properties (SPs).  Over 100 vaccinations were administered across NSW yesterday.

$7.5 Million in Additional Assistance Announced

The NSW Government will provide an additional $7.5 million in direct assistance to the stricken NSW racing industry to help it recover from the effects of the devastating Equine Influenza outbreak.  For more details see the news story below.

EI Community Meetings

A series of community meetings will be held to provide up-to-date information on the equine influenza eradication campaign.  All horse owners, trainers and riders are invited to attend.  The meetings being held by NSW Department of Primary Industries will cover information on buffer zone vaccination, infection locations, zoning, testing procedures, movement restrictions and the future outlook. For meeting locations see:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/horse/influenza/community-meetings

Vaccinations

The vaccination of horses in buffer zones continues across the State. Vaccinations commenced at Dubbo yesterday, continued in Gloucester and Mittagong and will commence in Armidale today.

All horse owners are reminded that high standards of biosecurity must be maintained and quarantine and movement restrictions must continue to be observed.

If you believe you are in a buffer zone in the Armidale, Dubbo or Parkes/Forbes areas, and you haven’t yet been contacted about the vaccination occurring in the zone, please ring the Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Thanks again to Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA) for their ongoing assistance in recruiting and training practitioners to staff the vaccination teams operating in buffer zones, and in undertaking the logistics to ensure these teams are adequately resourced.

IN THE NEWS

Around 150 jobs are on offer for people with horse experience or good administration skills as part of the NSW Government’s equine influenza response. The jobs will provide a welcome boost to the industry, in particular for those who are currently unemployed or whose businesses have been heavily affected because of the horse flu crisis. See:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/workers-wanted-to-cope-with-horse-flu-crisis

The NSW Government will provide an additional $7.5 million in direct assistance to the stricken NSW racing industry to help it recover from the effects of the devastating Equine Influenza outbreak. See:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/iemma-government-relief-and-recovery-package-for-racing-industry

Up to 600 local horses in the equine influenza (EI) buffer zone near Dubbo will receive horse flu vaccinations over the next week. See:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/only-some-dubbo-horses-to-get-ei-jab

The Consultative Committee for Emergency Animal Diseases has approved the movement of some horses from Moonbi and Parkes today. The horses can move to properties in either the red or purple equine influenza (EI) zones, but cannot return to the EI-free green zone or to the low risk amber zone at this stage. See:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/gates-open-at-moonbi-and-parkes-ei-lockdowns-macdonald

Around 150 jobs are on offer for people with horse experience or good administration skills as part of the Iemma Government’s equine influenza response, NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald said today.

Mr Macdonald said the jobs will provide a welcome boost to the industry, in particular for those who are currently unemployed or for those whose businesses have been heavily affected because of the horse flu crisis.

“This disease outbreak has resulted in a major upheaval of the entire horse industry because of the bans on racing and other horse events, and this is a chance for those people to earn a wage again,” he said.

“Over the last five and a half weeks, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has had more than 250 people working in response to the outbreak - we now need more people to complement our efforts.

“A lot of these roles on offer, particularly those at Forward Command Control Centres, involve working with horses, so people with experience in the industry would be particularly appropriate for these job opportunities.

“The jobs range from working on infected sites, through to assisting with decontamination, other field-based tasks, administration and clerical roles.

“These positions are expected to be available for at least three months.

“They will be based at either the Local Disease Control Centre at Camden, or at the forward command control centres at Narrabri, Tamworth, Parkes, Scone, Richmond and Gosford.

“This is an excellent opportunity for interested people to play their part in this important control and eradication program and I encourage anyone who thinks they have skills to help out to contact one of the employment agencies involved.

“These jobs, as well as the NSW Government’s $7.5 million Relief and Recovery Package, will help alleviate some of the burden of the horse flu crisis.”

Skills required for each position include:

Infected Premised Site Supervisors