Hendra claims Murwillumbah horse

NSW Department of Primary Industries veterinarians have confirmed Hendra as the cause of death of the 31-year-old stockhorse gelding on a property west of Murwillumbah, near the Queensland border.

The property has been placed in quarantine and five people are being monitored for signs of the disease, which has the potential to be fatal in humans. Four Australians have died since the disease was identified in 1994.

The horse had been in a paddock on a rural acreage in an area which has regular flying fox activity.

Samples have been taken from five other horses on the property and they are also under surveillance.

Team Leader Animal Biosecurity and Welfare for the North Coast Local Land Services Ian Poe said following the deaths of horses on the Mid North Coast last year, 2000 regional horses were vaccinated in a short period.

Across the country, 90,000 have now been vaccinated, the majority in Queensland and Northern NSW.

But those numbers represent a relatively low percentage of all horses, he said.

The perceived low risk, with Hendra being a rare disease, the cost and the frequency of required boosters (every six months) are possibly the factors restricting vaccination numbers.

More in this week's The Land.