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HRA Industry Notice - Hendra Virus Update - 7 October 2011
07 October 2011
Current situation
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) has confirmed that the State’s horses are now Hendra free. There are currently no properties quarantined in NSW, with all previously infected properties declared safe by NSW authorities.
Research Commitment
In what is welcome news for the Horse industry and to better understand what’s behind the spike in cases this year, the NSW Government has committed $3 million of funding to ramp-up vital research into the virus. This is a very welcome piece of news for all involved in the horse industry.
Stay Alert
HRA recommends that all horse owners need to remain vigilant. The following are a few very easy steps to follow:
- Place feed and water containers under cover
- Do not place feed and water under trees, especially any trees with fruit
- Do not use feed that could attract flying foxes, such as apples, carrots, or molasses
- Remove horses from paddocks where fruiting or flowering trees have temporarily attracted flying foxes
- If it is not possible to remove the horse from the paddock, tape off the area under the trees
- After handling feed bins and water troughs ensure that your hands are washed thoroughly using a disinfectant or hand cleaner.
Harness Racing Australia will continue to keep the industry informed as more information is made available. For any comment or for additional details please contact Gary Kairn, Operations Manager, Harness Racing Australia on (03) 9227 3003.
