Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/08/2298216.htm?section=australia

Killer Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

A property on Brisbane's bayside has been placed into quarantine after a confirmed outbreak of Hendra virus.

Biosecurity Queensland says three horses at a veterinary practice tested have positive to the virus, one has died and another has been put down this evening.

Biosecurity Queensland's chief vet Ron Glanville says the virus is rare but can also be spread to humans and the property has been locked down.

"There are a number of other horses there so we have quarantined the premises and are doing a detailed investigation to determine what has actually gone on there and also carrying out disinfections," he said.

"We don't want the infection to spread to other horses or people."

In 1994, the virus claimed the lives of high-profile trainer Vic Rail and 13 horses.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Re: AU: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23992116-5003415,00.html
Hendra equine virus kills two Brisbane horses



By David Earley

July 09, 2008 12:00am

TWO horses are dead after an outbreak of the rare Hendra virus sent an equine clinic on Brisbane's bayside into lockdown.

It is the worst outbreak since the virus killed a horse trainer and 14 horses in 1994.

The rare virus can kill horses within a day, and three confirmed cases so far at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic represent the largest outbreak of the virus since it killed Queensland horse trainer Vic Rail in September 1994.

It is just 10 days since Queensland was officially declared free of the equine influenza that crippled the horse racing industry, but Biosecurity Queensland Chief Veterinary Officer Ron Glanville said the Hendra virus was not as contagious as equine influenza.

"What we do know of Hendra virus to date is that it's not a virus that's all that easy to transmit," Dr Glanville said.

"That means the horse has to have either close contact or have some mechanical transmission, so it's not going to be as widespread as equine influenza."

Biosecurity Queensland received results last night confirming the horses had tested positive for the virus, and Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said epidemiologists were working with the veterinary clinic to find out how the infection occurred.

"We are taking the situation seriously with biosecurity inspectors moving quickly to quarantine the practice and establish thorough disinfection procedures to ensure the area is full contained," Mr Mulherin said.

"We are also working with local neighbours to ensure they are aware of the situation and the quarantine."

Fruit bats are carriers of the virus, which Dr Glanville said makes it particular, and deadly, to Queensland, with one horse dead, one still recovering, and one euthanised.

"Hendra is a serious but rare virus which occasionally affects horses," he said.

"This disease has a high case fatality rate ? a high proportion of the number of horses who contract the disease will die ? and it's generally pretty quick, only a day or so.

"As a zoonotic disease, it can also spread from horses to humans, but that is also rare."

Another 37 horses currently quarantined at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic will be tested for the virus today.

While it is extremely difficult to contract the disease, staff from Queensland Health are contacting people involved with the sick horses to advise on personal health and hygiene issues associated with the disease.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23993993-29277,00.html

Fears vets exposed to deadly virus

July 09, 2008 05:11pm

LEADING Sydney veterinary surgeon Dr Nick Kannegeiter has expressed fears that staff at the Brisbane clinic where two horses died as a result of the Hendra virus could have been exposed to the disease linked to the death of trainer Vic Rail.

The Redlands Veterinary Clinic has been placed in quarantine after one thoroughbred died and a second horse had to be put down when they contracted the disease, while three more horses have tested positive.

Dr Kannegeiter, who is based in Sydney but travels to perform surgery, is among the 30-odd staff potentially exposed to the Hendra virus.

All have undergone testing by Queensland Health and Dr Kannegeiter admitted they faced an anxious wait.

In 1994, Rail, the trainer of former champion galloper Vo Rogue, died of a heart attack a week after being admitted to hospital with symptoms of equine morbillivirus (Hendra virus).

One of Rail's staff also showed symptoms of Hendra virus but recovered while a Mackay cane farmer died of the disease a year after Rail's death.

"The problem with this outbreak is that the horses have been pretty much in intensive care in the veterinary clinic, not just morning and night with penicillin but every two hours with very intensive treatment so there's very, very heavy exposure to all the staff dealing with these horses, including myself," Dr Kannegeiter said to Sydney radio station 2KY.

"The horses we operated on and who got sick, we are very concerned they may have been incubating the disease.

"We now have to wait two weeks to see if anybody's had exposure, hopefully we haven't.

"The two horses that have died were both pretty sick ? one was being hand fed and that is another worry.

"There has been a lot of contact with the three confirmed cases.

"I will be worried if any of the horses I have operated on come down with the virus in the next 10 days.

"There is no known treatment."

[/B]Dr Kannegeiter said the latest outbreak of the Hendra virus was a different strain to the one which killed 14 horses in 1994.[/B]

The disease usually manifests in respiratory problems such as coughing and nasal discharge but the "mutant" strain appears to be affecting horses' neurological functions.

And while the equine influenza (EI) virus which rocked the racing industry last year was an airborne disease, it is not known how the current Hendra outbreak is spreading.

It has been linked to bats in the past but Dr Kannegeiter says there are no bat populations in the vicinity of the affected clinic.

"It's never been recorded before ? it's nothing like the one involved with Vic Rail," he said.

"We have no idea how it is spreading from horse to horse ? there is no contact between them ? there's no equipment being shared, it's all completely new disposable needles, gloves ? every time a horse is treated it's completely new gear.

"The only commonality is they come into the centre."

The three infected horses all came to the clinic with unrelated problems requiring treatment.

Dr Kannegeiter said he had spoken to other vets who confirmed they had recently seen horses with signs of neurological disease, sparking fears the outbreak at the Brisbane clinic may not be isolated.

"Most vets have seen signs of neurological disease and some horses have been put down but the owners haven't requested a post-mortem," he said.

"So there is a very, very high possibility there have been a lot more of these cases completely unrecognised."


*****
Could the virus be airbourne? I would think this would be bad news. It's a stretch but I am wondering if the horse epizoodic in India might be Henda:
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73573&highlight=india
However, no horse deaths were reported in that article.

 

[tropical]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

"The disease usually manifests in respiratory problems such as coughing and nasal discharge but the "mutant" strain appears to be affecting horses' neurological functions.

And while the equine influenza (EI) virus which rocked the racing industry last year was an airborne disease, it is not known how the current Hendra outbreak is spreading.

It has been linked to bats in the past but Dr Kannegeiter says there are no bat populations in the vicinity of the affected clinic.

"It's never been recorded before – it's nothing like the one involved with Vic Rail," he said.

"We have no idea how it is spreading from horse to horse – there is no contact between them – there's no equipment being shared, it's all completely new disposable needles, gloves – every time a horse is treated it's completely new gear.

"The only commonality is they come into the centre."

The three infected horses all came to the clinic with unrelated problems requiring treatment.

Dr Kannegeiter said he had spoken to other vets who confirmed they had recently seen horses with signs of neurological disease, sparking fears the outbreak at the Brisbane clinic may not be isolated."
___

The mad cow disease med.vet/authopsy tools was at the time also one of the ilness vector (unknown at the begining) because of the impossibility of it's total sterilisation from the prion.

Speculations(?):
a) the horses was previously entered the clinic already infected because of the vets cited possibility of a much more wider infection now in incubation(?)
b) in that clinic was a biosecurity breach because of the mutant microbe characteristics similar to the cited prion mad cow illness tools sterilisation problem(?)
c) a classic biosecurity breach at the vet clinic, or not enaugh hardened quality of: masks/respirators/..., surfaces sterilisation, ...(?)

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23994933-3102,00.html

Anxious wait on killer Hendra virus tests

TWENTY-five staff of a Redland City equine clinic are awaiting test results after the outbreak of a new strain of the rare but deadly Hendra virus.
Already the virus - formerly known as equine morbillivirus - has claimed the lives of two horses and infected at least one other, all of which had been having treatment at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic in Thornlands.

But the virus is also known to infect humans, killing two people in the mid-1990s - Hendra horse trainer Vic Rail and a veterinarian's assistant in Mackay.

Redlands Veterinary Clinic owner David Lovell said the possibility of human transmission was a very real worry, particularly given the many unknowns connected with the virus.

"We just don't know if this is a more aggressive strain of the virus that transmits more easily to humans. It's like nothing we've ever seen before," Dr Lovell said.

He said the symptoms displayed by the horses infected were neurological and included aggression, loss of balance and facial paralysis - not the flu-like respiratory symptoms previously associated with Hendra virus.

"When I checked on the Department of Primary Industries website, there was only one symptom that corresponded to Hendra virus and that was a high temperature."

But late on Tuesday, tests confirmed the virus in two of the dead horses and another horse that survived.

Thirty-seven horses, including "racehorses, trotters and pets", had been quarantined at the clinic but Dr Lovell said his main concern was for staff.

"I am particularly concerned for two or three people who were in closer contact with the infected horses than I was," he said. "But Queensland Health has been very good and they've taken blood tests and provided us with counselling where needed."

Results should be known in a day or two, but staff would have to be retested in a fortnight because the incubation period of the virus was up to 11 days.

QH medical officer Brad McCall said there had only ever been four confirmed human cases of Hendra virus infection in Queensland.

"There has been no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the Hendra virus," Dr McCall said.

Biosecurity Queensland's chief veterinary officer Ron Glanville admitted the strain was not one that had been seen before in eight previous outbreaks throughout the state.

"It's been quite a surprise to us and it doesn't look like the virus we know," Dr Glanville said. "It was a total surprise when the results came back as Hendra virus."

Flying foxes are the only known source of Hendra virus, and Dr Lovell said there were "hundreds of thousands in the suburb". "On the islands (in Moreton Bay) there are plenty of bats around. In fact I'd say they were in plague proportions," he said.

Dr Glanville said the DPI could only "advise people to try and limit the exposure of horses to flying fox roosts".

"It's a very difficult ask," he said.

 

[mixin]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Full article here: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39901

outbreak of Hendra virus in Queensland is causing concern among the equine community.
[snips]
Biosecurity Queensland is disinfecting the vet's Redlands Clinic and says the cases should not be confused with equine influenza as there is no relationship between the two.

Twenty-five of the clinic staff staff on Brisbane's south-east outskirts have been tested to see if they are infected and according to Dr. Lovelle the main concern is that one of the horses might be incubating the disease which could develop in a day or so.

This is the ninth recorded outbreak in Queensland since 1994 and the most serious to date.

In 1995 a farmer who had been in close contact with sick horses died, a horse near Cairns died in 1999 and another near Townsville in 2004.

Of the three human cases of Hendra virus disease two of the three individuals had a respiratory illness with severe flu-like signs and symptoms. Laboratory tests are used to diagnose Hendra virus.

Hendra virus is a close cousin of the Nipah virus also carried by fruit bats which is capable of causing illness and death in domestic animals and humans.

The Nipah virus is transmitted to humans, cats, and dogs through close contact with infected pigs.

The outbreak is not expected to have any impact on the Brisbane Ekka show where more than 2,500 horses will compete and organisers remain confident the show will not be affected by the outbreak.

Dr Glanville says the Brisbane Bayside property has been quarantined and there are no implications for the Ekka show.

 

[Oracle]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Map of Henipavirus genus outbreak distribution, Nipah Virus (Singapore, Malaysia also Bengal and Bangladesh) and Hendra Virus (Queensland coast)

Note the coastal distribution of Hendra virus, it spans the coast from Brisbane, thru Mackay, Townsend, to Cairns.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Two more Qld horses contract Hendra

<bod>Another two horses in Queensland have tested positive for the Hendra virus, sparking fears more horses or humans could contract the virus.
A post-mortem examination on a horse that died at Proserpine earlier this week and tests on a horse at a Brisbane bayside vet clinic that became sick overnight have returned positive.
This brings the latest number of horses known to be infected with the potentially deadly virus this month to seven, with five at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic and two at a Cannonvale property.
So far only two people from the clinic have contracted the virus.
News of the latest infected horse at the clinic comes only days after all staff underwent a second and final test that could potentially clear them of having the virus.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said staff who came into contact with the horse would have to be retested after 14 days.
It also means the clinic will continue to be quarantined for at least another two weeks and the 37 horses there will be retested.
Dr Ron Glanville, Biosecurity Queensland chief veterinary officer, said the new results, while disappointing, were not unexpected.
"We know Hendra virus can spread through the close contact of infected horses, so it is not a surprise that another two animals that had close contact with the previous cases have also now contracted the disease," Dr Glanville said.
"For infection control and animal welfare reasons, Biosecurity Queensland will euthanase the latest horse to become infected at Redlands this afternoon, taking the number of horses to die from Hendra virus since July to six."
The virus comes from fruit bats. It is potentially deadly when transmitted to horses and from horses to humans.
There has been no human to human transmission of the virus.
</bod> ? 2008 AAP

http://news.smh.com.au/national/two-more-qld-horses-contract-hendra-20080724-3k7x.html

 

[mixin]

Autopsy planned on fifth Hendra virus horse death

Autopsy planned on fifth Hendra virus horse death

An autopsy will be carried out today on the body of a horse that died from the Hendra virus in south-east Queensland.

Another horse at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic was put down yesterday after returning a positive test result.

It is the fifth horse to contract the virus, which has also infected two staff members.

Queensland chief vet Dr Ron Glanville says six experts will carry out the post-mortem.

He says the horse will be moved from the clinic in a specially designed body bag to prevent contamination of other horses and humans.

"There haven't been many opportunities in the past where we've been able to conduct a full post mortem on a Hendra virus case in most previous cases," he said.

"Because this is a disease that can be transmissible to humans, we've done a very minimal PM [post mortem] just to take the minimal samples.

"This case gives us the opportunity to get a lot more information about how the disease affects the body."

Meanwhile, the owner of the Brisbane bayside veterinary clinic where Hendra virus has been discovered says he is unsure how it is spreading.

Clinic owner Dr David Lovell says he is meeting Department of Primary Industries representatives today to discuss the outbreak.

"I think there's a lot of issues, particularly the welfare of the horses that we've got under quarantine right now, that's got to become a very critical issue," he said.

"We've got to work out some sort of practical solution as to how best look after their interests - it's a very difficult situation."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/25/2314056.htm

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24203759-5006786,00.html


Race on to beat a deadly virus

Natasha Bita | August 19, 2008

GUIDELINES issued to prevent the spread of the deadly Hendra virus will suggest horses be fed away from trees to ensure they do not come into contact with virus-carrying bats.

And vets have been told to improve hygiene in their clinics, in the wake of the latest viral outbreak in Brisbane.

Revised infection control procedures for vets and the firstguidelines for horse owners are being drafted by Queensland's Department of Primary Industries.

"It's mainly about putting feed and water under cover and not under trees where bats fly into," chief veterinarian Ron Glanville said yesterday.

"Material from bats getting into feed is an obvious way (transmission) could happen."

The new guidelines for vets recommend they use gloves, respirator masks, face shields, overalls and rubber boots when treating horses suspected of suffering Hendra virus. They should shower and change clothes immediately afterwards.

A vet and a nurse from the Redlands Veterinary Clinic in Brisbane have been confined to hospital for six weeks with symptoms of Hendra virus.

The doctor treating them, Mike Whitby -- who is the Australian Medical Association's infectious diseases spokesman for Queensland -- refused to comment on his patients' condition yesterday.

But he called on the veterinary industry to follow the lead of doctors in avoiding unprotected exposure to blood and secretions, as they could harbor deadly viruses. "I suspect the industry in Australia will look very closely at infection control procedures," Dr Whitby said.

"The veterinary industry should look very closely at following the human example."

Australia's acting chief veterinary surgeon, Reg Butler, yesterday said it was a "new concept" for horse vets to protect themselves from infection because they had never needed to worry about horse diseases infecting them. "We need to improve and learn from recent experiences," he said.

Dr Butler said Australia did not have written guidelines for veterinary standards as "that's the sort of stuff you get training in at university; there would be course notes".

The DPI circular to vets says clinical signs of Hendra virus include acute onset of fever, rapid deterioration, neurological or respiratory problems, an elevated heart rate and proximity to bats.

It notes the virus could be confused with plant poisoning, pneumonia, equine herpes or exotic viruses such as African horse sickness, Japanese Encephalitis and West Nile Virus.

Queensland's Minister for Primary Industries, Tim Mulherin, yesterday ruled out an independent inquiry into the Redlands clinic, where five horses were last month diagnosed with Hendra virus.

"If people have any complaints (or) allegations regarding hygiene standards at any veterinary clinic, the appropriate body to investigate is the Veterinary Surgeon's Board," he said in a statement to The Australian.

The Redlands clinic's owner, David Lovell, sits on the board.

The Queensland Government has given the Australian Veterinary Association a confidential payment to help compensate Mr Lovell, whose clinic remains under quarantine.

 

[mixin]

Female vet now being monitored

Female vet now being monitored

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=40806

The Australian Hendra horse virus is still causing concern since the initial outbreak in July as a female veterinarian who euthanised a racehorse infected with the potentially deadly virus is now being monitored in hospital after an accidental needle stick injury.
According to the Department of Primary Industries the vet was admitted to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra hospital last Friday and is currently being monitored for any Hendra-related symptoms at the hospital and waiting for the results of blood tests.

The horse, a thoroughbred, had recovered from the virus but was deemed a biosecurity threat and was the fifth horse to either die or be put down at a Brisbane clinic.

The vet is the third person to be hospitalised since the outbreak at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic, a male vet and a female vet nurse who worked at the clinic remain in hospital after being admitted last month after contracting the virus; both were involved in the autopsies of the infected horses.

The clinic remains under strict quarantine control and is at the centre of the worst outbreak of the virus since the death of horse trainer Vic Rail in 1994.

Tests conducted on more than 30 other horses at the clinic were apparently inconclusive and an investigation will be launched by workplace health and safety officers into how the needle stick injury occurred; Hendra is carried by native fruit bats and humans can contract it from infected horses.

Biosecurity Queensland chief veterinary officer Dr. Ron Glanville says blood tests on the horse had returned negative for Hendra virus, which was a hopeful sign for the vet who received the needle stick injury.

The horse Tamworth, was valued at $200,000 and was put down despite a fight to save its life.

Dr. Glanville says the affected horses appeared depressed, had poor appetite, fever, darkened mucous membranes, reduced gut sounds, colic, ataxia, regular lying down, trembling, head tilting, circling, loss of vision, aggression, and rapid deterioration and all died or were euthanised at the most after two days.

The first horse apparently had numerous neurological symptoms on admission, the second was reported to have had mild respiratory disease, and the third was reported as depressed on admission and collapsed the following afternoon, while the other two had pre-existing medical conditions.

Dr. Glanville says while efforts were made to ascertain the Hendra virus infection status of all the horses, samples were limited and some results inconclusive.

A horse who was a long-term resident at the clinic is suspected to have been the primary case as two weeks before its illness it was housed in yards overhung by trees where fruit bats are regularly seen.

The suspicion is that feed or water became contaminated after being exposed to the infectious body fluids of a fruit bat.

Research into the behaviour of the Hendra virus and how it jumps from bats to horses is ongoing.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/new...arket-chief-vet/2008/08/21/1219262395890.html

Hendra vaccine may never reach market: chief vet
Tony Moore | August 21, 2008 - 4:54PM

Commercial considerations might prevent a vaccine for the fatal Hendra virus reaching the market, the State Government's chief veterinarian said this afternoon.

Initial research has been completed at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong in Victoria and further work has been done in Atlanta in the United States, the Department of Primary Industry's chief vet, Ron Glanville, told reporters.

But "commercial considerations" might yet prevent this vaccine ever making it to the market, he told a press conference this afternoon following the death overnight of Redlands Veterinary Clinic vet Ben Cunneen.

He said a vaccine was still not available despite millions of dollars spent on research since trainer Vic Rail died in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra in 1994.

"There has been initial work that could lead to a vaccine," Dr Glanville said.

"But as you would probably realise it takes quite a number of years to develop a vaccine against any new disease and there would be further work going on in that area."

Dr Glanville said Queensland authorities were already part of the latest international research program.

"We are involved internationally in a $1.5 million program in the past 12 months collaborating with international researchers, the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, the Co-operative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases (in Atlanta)," he said.

"And we know a huge amount about Hendra virus, in fact we are recognised internationally as leaders in this area."

Dr Glanville said the possibility of joint vaccine with other viruses found in bats might be more commercially vialble.

"There is also the potential I suppose where there is a combined NIPAH virus/Hendra virus vaccine - because they are closely-related viruses - and that other virus is causing significant problems overseas."

Dr Cunneen contracted the rare equine virus after treating horses at the bayside where he had worked since the 1990s.

Dr Glanville said bats were found in trees near the rear paddock where Dr Cunneen worked.

Dr Cunneen was admitted to hospital five weeks ago, and was placed in a medically-induced coma in recent days after his condition deteriorated.

He is the third Queenslander to die from the disease and the sixth Queenslander to be infected.

In humans, Hendra virus develops with flu-like symptoms and spreads through the neurological system to affect the brain.

Queensland Health's chief medical officer, Dr Jeanette Young, said the Department of Primary Industries vet who received a needle-stick injury while putting down Tamworth, a horse infected with Hendra virus, had been released from hospital.

"The vet who was involved in euthanasing a horse is now doing very well," Dr Young said.

"There will continue to be some involvement and monitoring of her, but things are good."

The virus has been detected in horses from Cairns to northern New South Wales and is most likely to occur in areas populated by fruit bat

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.pr-inside.com/australian-vet-dies-of-rare-virus-r766149.htm

Australian vet dies of rare virus from horses
? AP
2008-08-21 06:38:02 -
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - An Australian veterinarian has died of a rare virus after treating infected horses at his clinic, the Queensland Health Department said Thursday.
Ben Cunneen, in his early 30s, died Wednesday night of Hendra virus disease after several weeks in intensive care.
Cunneen is the third person to die of the virus since it was discovered in 1994.
Two other staff members of the Redlands Veterinary Clinic have been hospitalized with the disease. Five horses have died or have been killed as a result of the outbreak at the clinic, which remains quarantined.
Hendra, named for the Brisbane suburb where it was discovered, is a virus infection with flu-like symptoms that can lead to pneumonia or encephalitis.
It is believed to originate in fruit bats in Australia and mainly infects horses. The few human infections have come from direct exposure to tissues and secretions from infected horses.
Sydney virologist Bill Rawlinson said there is no evidence the virus can spread between humans, and that even for a horse to become infected is very rare.

?Infected horses typically develop a respiratory illness and all three humans who have died have had intense, extremely close contact with these horses and are exposed to the mucous in the same way a parent catches a bug off a sick child they're caring for,? Rawlinson said.
They must have had contact with blood or other body fluids to catch the virus, he said.
The Hendra virus was first discovered in a 1994 outbreak that killed a horse trainer and 13 horses. The next year, a farmer assisting in an autopsy of an infected horse became ill and died.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24218379-2702,00.html

State's vet chief denies Hendra outbreak in Qld

Sarah Elks | August 21, 2008

QUEENSLAND'S chief vet says the state is not in the midst of a Hendra virus outbreak, despite the death of a senior veterinarian.
Only six people have ever been infected with the disease in Queensland, with three people dying of the illness.

Vet Ben Cunneen died after contracting the virus while treating horses at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic in Brisbane's east last month.

Dr Cunneen, aged in his early 30s, has spent several weeks in intensive care in a Brisbane hospital and died just after 7pm yesterday.

A nurse from the Redlands clinic had also tested positive to the disease, but she has now been discharged from hospital.

Queensland Health's chief health officer Jeannette Young said the nurse was "doing well and recovering''.

Biosecurity Queensland's chief veterinarian Ron Glanville said these were isolated incidents of the Hendra virus, rather than part of an outbreak.

Dr Glanville said there was no strict definition of an outbreak but said it was something like equine influenza or foot-and-mouth disease which spreads "from property to property through the horse population''.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh this morning extended her sympathy to Dr Cuneen's family, friends and work colleagues.

"This is a very difficult time for the veterinarian's family and those who knew and worked with him. My thoughts are with them all at this sad time,'' Ms Bligh said.

Two other people have died of the Hendra virus in Queensland. Horse trainer Vic Rail died in 1994 and Mackay sugarcane farmer Mark Preston in 1995.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia: Hendra virus outbreak in Brisbane

Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/new...ysterious-virus/2008/08/21/1219262364335.html

History of a mysterious virus
Tony Moore | August 21, 2008 - 10:49AM

Brisbane vet Ben Cunneen is believed to be the third Queenslander to die from Hendra virus.

The senior equine specialist from the bayside Redlands Veterinary Clinic passed away in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital overnight, five weeks after contracting the rare disease from an infected horse.

Hendra virus is named after the Brisbane suburb where it was first detected in September 1994.

In that outbreak, 13 horses died as a result of infection with the previously unknown virus and a further seven became infected and had to be destroyed.

Trainer Vic Rail was one of two people who became infected with Hendra after he had very close contact with one of his infected horses, Drama Series.

Drama Series died on September 9, 1994, from severe lung damage after a massive accumulation of fluids. Vic Rail died soon afterwards.

The virus was first classified as a mobillivirus, but was later reclassified as the specific Hendra virus (HeV) in a new genus.

A second man from Mackay died in October 1995 after his horses were first identified as dying in August 1994 from a mix of snakebite and avocado poisoning.

After the September 1994 outbreak, his horses were tested again and found to have been suffering from Hendra virus.

The Mackay man had been sick at the same time as his horses and had been in close contact with them. The Department of Primary Industries now believes this man also died from Hendra virus.

The Mackay horses died about four weeks before Drama Series fell ill in Brisbane, and are considered to be the earliest known cases in horses.

While the two incidents happened close together in time - August and September 1994 - they occurred 800 kilometres apart.

The Department of Primary Industries investigated both cases, but found no links.

A fourth person, a North Queensland vet, became infected in 2004 but did not die.

The vet became infected after treating two horses which were later confirmed as carrying the disease.

Scientists suspect fruit bats are a natural host of the Hendra virus, because the animals were common to both Mackay and Brisbane at the time of the 1994 outbreaks.

Tests have shown it is possible for grey-headed fruit bats to become experimentally infected with HeV, but scientists cannot demonstrate the disease being transmitted from the bats to a horse.

Follow-up studies show 20 to 50 per cent of three species of flying fox carry the Hendra virus antibody.

This strongly suggests these species of flying fox are natural hosts of the Hendra virus.

However, current research suggests that flying foxes do not pass it directly to humans, based on tests with 130 people who work closely with flying foxes.

Queensland Health senior medical officer Dr Brad McCall said people did recover from the Hendra virus.

"Until this incident we have had four people infected," Dr McCall said.

"Two people have died and two have recovered and remain well."

Health authorities are expected to hold a press conference later today following Dr Cunneen's death.