Have you heard about ‘Hendra’?

Hiya! Thanks for clicking on by today. Glad you could make it. Fresh coffee in the pot and a delectable selection of virtual goodies to tempt you. While you’re munching away, let me tell you a little about Hendra...No, it’s not the late Jimmy Hendrix’s sister! I was watching a program last night about Hendra It is a pretty lethal virus and one that we do not want to see spread in epidemic proportions.

Flying Foxes, known elsewhere as Fruit Bats, are the natural hosts for the Hendra virus. The virus can spread from flying foxes to horses and, very rarely, to people. There is no evidence of human-to-human, human-to-horse or bat-to-human spread of Hendra virus. It apparently spreads from bat urine, feces and mucus dropping onto grass and other vegetation which is then eaten by horses. 

Hendra virus was first isolated in 1994 from an outbreak of disease at a stable in Hendra, Brisbane. Since then, more than 40 cases of Hendra virus in horses have been detected on or east of the Great Dividing Range from Cairns to northern New South Wales. However, Hendra virus could potentially occur wherever there are flying foxes.

Most cases in horses are fatal but occasionally a horse will survive the infection. From what I saw on TV, infected horses become very strange and dangerous. The reported mortality rate in affected horses is greater than 70 per cent. No other animal is known to be infected naturally.

There has been much debate about the role of flying foxes in the spread of this disease. However, culling flying foxes is not an effective way to reduce Hendra virus risk for the following reasons:

• flying foxes are an important part of our natural environment
• flying foxes are widespread in Australia and, as they are highly mobile, it is not feasible to cull them
• culling or dispersing flying foxes in one location could simply transfer the issue to another location
• there are far more effective steps people can take to reduce the risk of Hendra virus infection in horses and humans.

Seven cases of human infection have been recorded, of which four have resulted in death. Humans have become infected from handling infected horses (both before and after they develop clinical signs, as well as during autopsies).

So far, the virus is contained in Australia. AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service) is very strict on what visitors can take into OZ. They need to be just as strict on what visitors take out. So, if you’re planning a vacation down under, don’t bring home any souvenir Flying Foxes, mate

See ya!

Bob