What is Hendra Virus?
Hendra virus is a rare disease that can be passed from an infected horse to a human. This type of illness is called a zoonotic disease. The cases reported in Australia have all been in people who had close contact with infected horses. Without prompt medical treatment, the complications of Hendra virus can be fatal.
There is no cure or specific medical treatment for Hendra virus and a vaccine is still in the developmental stage. The best defence is avoiding contact with an infected horse. If one of your horses gets sick, seek immediate advice from your veterinarian and see your doctor.
Hendra virus is a different disease to equine flu, which is a highly contagious viral disease that infects horses but not people.
History
Hendra virus first emerged in Australia in August and September 1994 when 13 horses died in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra (hence the name) and two horses died in an apparently unrelated outbreak in Mackay.
In Hendra, the horse Drama Series became the first recorded death from the virus and two people became infected after contact with the mare. One of them, prominent horse trainer Vic Rail, died as a result.
In October 1995, a Mackay farmer, Mark Preston, 35, became the third person to be infected with the virus and he also died as a result.
It was only after Mr Preston's infection and death that authorities discovered the initial August 1994 infection of two of his horses and made a retrospective diagnosis.
Since 1994 there have been 13 outbreaks of the disease - six people have become infected and four people have died.
Vet Dr Ben Cunneen, 33, became the third person to die when he caught the virus from infected horses at a veterinary clinic in Redlands, on Brisbane's southern outskirts in August 2008.
Another outbreak at a Cawarral property near Rockhampton in central Queensland in August 2009, also killed four horses and claimed the life of vet Dr Alister Rodgers, 55.
The mortality rate for horses is extremely high, with 70 per cent of infected animals dying from the virus.
Symptoms in Horses
In Australia, Hendra virus occurred in people who had close contact with infected horses. The symptoms in a horse can include:
Symptoms in Humans
The symptoms of Hendra virus infection in a person can include:
