sick_horses_-_how_do_they_really

For a list of clinical symptoms CLICK HERE.

To see some video of known Hendra infected horses CLICK HERE.

To find the latest version of the Veterinary Guidelines can be found on DPI Website.

Many horses have presented with very different symptoms, from very mild/vague to severe. Vets requested (in 2008) the DPI provide the case presentation of the Redlands cases because of the 'mutated' spin rampant in the media, as well as all the cases to date. Biosecurity Qld refused to provide this information, claiming it would breach confidentiality.

Knowing how varied many of the cases have presented, and knowing that the Veterinary Guidelines prior to (and after) the Redlands outbreak where inadequate, and acknowledged by the authorities... Inadequate Hendra Virus guidelines acknowledged months back - (David Earley - Courier Mail August 14, 2009) we have continued to pursue the issue.

We believe it is important information that should be published for all to see. I was advised by the Managing Director, Ms Kareena Arthy in an email dated the 2nd October 2009 that they were 'well advanced' in compiling this information and would be mailing out to all registered vets in Queensland, in the near future.... I was again advised by the Director General Mr Robert Setter in a letter dated 7th December 2009

Apparently they don't think the first people to see sick horses (us the owners) should see this information! Ignorance is NOT bliss when it comes to this deadly virus. As at the time of preparing this website to publish (now four months down the track), no vets I have spoken with have received this promised document, nor has it been published on the departments website.

Letter from Director General Mr Rober Setter dated 7th December 2009

For those who are interested in studying how each case has presented,
I have uploaded as much information as I can for you here, covering the 'recorded' cases
involved to date.

(14) Tewantin (May 2010)

The horse was examined by the veterinarian after the owner reported it was displaying acute onset of neurological signs. The horse was reported as being uncoordinated, demonstrating mouth twitching and being off its food.

Upon veterinary investigation, the horse exhibited normal respiratory and heart rates. The horse was found to be blind. The neurological signs progressed to seizures, the horse was humanely euthanased and buried on the property.

Qld Biosecurity Vet Communique 20th May 2010

(13) Bowen (Aug-Sept 2009)

Detailed in the Biosecurity
CVO Communique No 11

View PDF File

(12) Cawarral (Jul-Aug 2009)

Detailed in Biosecurity
CVO Communique No 2

View PDF File

(11) Proserpine (July 2008)

Kate Purvis, the owner that lost 4 horses in July/Aug 2008 is very keen to educate people about this deadly virus, she has created a website for Horse Owners

Clinical Symptoms of Kate's 4 horses can also be found on her website. Short video footage of one acutely ill Hendra horse (Dancer) and the sero-positive survivor Thomas who displayed virtually no clinical symptoms. Biosecurity Qld publicly stated that the Proserpine case had no link to the Redlands case and had presented as 'classical' Hendra symptoms.

I have also extracted the two pages of the Perkins Review 2008, outlining these horses.

Symptom chart of Proserpine Horses
Size : 1083 Kb   Type : pdf

Case description - Extract Perkins Review 2008
Size : 82 Kb   Type : pdf

(10) Redlands (June 2008)

WH&S had no problems releasing copies of the RVC patient records for the 5 confirmed Hendra horses, Truly Gifted, Tamworth, JD, Regal Power and Barbie Doll. No RVC files could be obtained for the first two horses Casemma and Loddy (of the three not confirmed), the 3rd of these three horses was Noddy, he died two days before Truly Gifted and his is available. You can form your own opinions on those cases and files, Regal Power's case is the most detailed, which was after the clinic was quarantined.   Referring vet notes on the first horse Casemma, and the second Loddy are available below.

It is important to view the Epidemiology presentation of this case to evaluate why these horses should be included.

I have also extracted the 4 pages presented in Nigel Perkins 'Review' of this case, which is quite a contrast to the detailed chronology of events he presented in his previous review of the Peachester case.

   Summary of Cases extract of Perkins Review 2008
    Size : 293 Kb    Type : pdf
   Referring vet report on Casemma
    Size : 114 Kb   Type : pdf
   Referring vet report on Loddy
    Size : 104 Kb   Type : pdf
   Noddy RVC records
    Size : 109 Kb   Type : pdf
   Truly Gifted RVC records
    Size : 1518 Kb   Type : pdf
   Tamworth RVC records
    Size : 822 Kb   Type : pdf
   JD RVC records
    Size : 3257 Kb   Type : pdf
   Regal Power RVC records
    Size : 5295 Kb   Type : pdf
   Barbie RVC records
    Size : 283 Kb   Type : pdf

Also a paper published by the CDC in February this year 2010, called

Hendra Virus Outbreak with Novel Clinical Features, Australia: Hume Field, Kylie Schaaf, Nina Kung, Craig Simon, David Waltisbuhl, Heather Hobert, Frederick Moore, Deborah Middleton, Allison Crook, Greg Smith, Peter Daniels, Ron Glanville, and David Lovell (Vol16, Number 2-February 2010)
Gives a summary of the 5 confirmed horses at Redlands. Full paper download here or view online. http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/16/2/338.htm

(9) Clifton Beach (July 2007)
Dana was a 27 year old mare, indeterminate breeding, possibly brumby. Ridden Sunday two days before falling sick on Tuesday. Her head drooping hardly moving in the paddock. Wednesday thinking maybe she had a respiratory infection, as she was no better and very listless, I called our vet (Wednesday), who treated her for a high fever (spiked at 40.3). Very small amount of nasal discharge. Very depressed although still whinnying at owner and still eating. On Wed night she had a massive muscle spasm through her body, which by late that night had become small spasms all over. By the next morning she was so weak she was almost sitting. Thursday the DPI were informed, as the vet suspected possibility of Hendra virus. Dana was euthanased and samples collected.

(8) Peachester (June 2007)
Clinical presentation data not available.

(7) Murwillimbah NSW (Oct 2006)
Clinical presentation data not available.

(6) Peachester (June 2006)

Subject to a Review (conducted by Nigel Perkins / Ausvet Animal Health Services). Thanks to the persistence of Dr R Day in expressing disgust at QDPI's attitude and response to a highly suspect case that proved positive. This report was never published on the DPI's website, a thorough chronology of the case starts on page 9 of the Review, I have extracted the 8 pages that outline the case presentation.

Summary table of symptoms extract Perkins Review
Chronology 2006 extract Perkins Review

(5) Townsville (Nov-Dec 2004)
Clinical presentation data not available.

(4) Gordonvale (Oct 2004)

A brief case description

The horse: The horse was a 10-year-old gelding located on a property about 25 km south of Cairns. It had been acutely unwell for 1 day, with restlessness, increased respiratory effort and profuse sweating. On examination, the horse was febrile (41°C per rectum), tachycardic (120 beats/min), markedly dyspnoeic and very weak; it lay in a lateral recumbent position and could not raise its head. It was very dehydrated, and had injected mucous membranes and large amounts of blood-stained frothy secretions issuing from its nose. A decision was made to euthanase the horse, but it had a convulsion and expired before this could be performed. Blood-stained froth emanated from its nose and mouth as it died.

The main gross findings at autopsy were massive fluid congestion of the lungs, cardiomegaly with marked thickening of the ventricular walls, and a grossly enlarged liver. The veterinarian concluded that the horse had died from acute heart failure and pulmonary oedema of unknown aetiology; no tissue samples were collected for further laboratory studies. At the completion of the autopsy, the horse was deep-buried using a back hoe.

Extract from
Hendra virus infection in a veterinarian Jeffrey N Hanna, William J McBride, Dianne L Brookes, Jack Shield, Carmel T Taylor, Ina L Smith, Scott B Craig and Greg A Smith
MJA 2006; 185 (10): 562-564
Paper can be viewed here

(3) Trinity Beach (Jan 1999)

Case description extracted from

A fatal case of Hendra virus infection in a horse in north Queensland: clinical and epidemiological features
HE FIELD ¹ , PC BARRATT ² , RJ HUGHES ² , J SHIELD ³ ND SULLIVAN ⁴
¹ Animal Research Institute, Department of Primary Industries, Locked Mailbag 4, Moorooka, Queensland 4105 ² Marlin Coast Veterinary Surgery, Cnr Aropa Street and Cook Highway, Trinity Beach, Queensland 4879 ³ Department of Primary Industries, PO Box 652, Cairns, Queensland 4870 ⁴ Veterinary Pathology Services, PO Box 1119, Coorparoo DC, Queensland 4151

If you do not have a PDF reader installed on your computer, please click here to download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

(2) Mackay Aug 1994 & Oct 1995

2 horses died August 1994, Mark Preston died the following year in Oct 95, after a relapse believed to be from exposure to the 2 horses he helped wife (veterinarian) post mortem in Aug 1994. Clinical presentation data not available.

(1) Hendra / Kenilworth (Aug 1994)

The Qld Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) commissioned an independent review of this outbreak. The clinical symptoms in this case were summarised and noted in 3 pages.

It would also be valuable to view the Epidemiology page Presentation on this case which shows the number of days clinical symptoms were observed and incubation periods for each of the horses.

1994 Clinical symptoms

Page updated:
7th January 2012

Recorded Hendra outbreaks have now occurred in the following months

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER
(note the horse became ill 28 November died 1 December)

JANUARY

Hendra could strike anywhere, anytime!

The only case files missing are Case Presentation Files for Mackey 94 (2 horses - 1 human), Townsville 2004 (1 horse), Murwillumbah 2006 (1 horse), Peachester 2007 (1 horse).

Click images to play video files

32) Beachmere Qld
Three horses died on the property, the first was suspected as a result of colic, the second horse was tested positive to the virus, and the third horse was confirmed positive after the property was quarantined. CVO Bulletin 11th October 2011
CVO Bulletin 26th October 2011

31) North Ballina NSW
New Hendra virus case at north Ballina. The gelding was noticed on the morning of 27 August 2011 to be depressed, with a wide based front leg stance, swaying from side to side and was febrile. It placed its head into the feed bin but was unable to eat. It went down and died on the fence later in the day.
CVO Bulletin>

30) Currumbin Valley Qld
The aged horse had shown a rapid onset of illness (Monday) including lethargy, gait problems and a temperature of 40.3°C. The horse died Tuesday afternoon and has been buried on the property. The private veterinarian who visited the horse yesterday collected samples for Hendra virus testing. PCR test results returned late last night were:
· Blood and oral swab – positive
· Nasal and rectal swab – negative CVO Bulletin>

(29) Mullumbimby (NSW)
“The horse on the Mullumbimby property was reportedly behaving oddly and died suddenly. A private veterinarian took blood and swab samples from the dead horse.

(28) South Ballina (NSW)
“Two horses have died on a South Ballina property and one horse has died on a Mullumbimby property,” NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Ian Roth said. “The dead horses on the South Ballina property were reported by a neighbour and sampled by a LHPA district vet. The precise time of death for these two horses is currently unknown.

(27) Ballina (NSW) 15th August 2011
The State Virology Laboratory at EMAI confirmed late on 16 August 2011 that samples submitted from a gelding at Ballina were positive for Hendra virus. The samples were collected by a private vet after the horse was found comatose early on 15 August. The horse had been noticed to be off its food and behaving strangely (head down and wobbling from side to side) on the evening of 14 August. The horse was euthanased and buried on the property. There are 2 remaining horses on the property. There are no trees on the property. CVO Bulletin>

(26) Mullumbimby (NSW) 24 July 2011
Mullumbimby were positive for Hendra virus. The samples were collected on 26 July by a private vet from a horse that had died suddenly on 24 July. There was a large fig tree in the paddock in which the dead horse was found.   There are 8 remaining horses on the property. CVO Bulletin>

(25) Chinchilla (Qld) 22nd July 2011
The case horse was reported as dull two days prior to developing acute respiratory distress and neurological signs including ataxia. A nasal discharge was noted and a body temperature of 38.7ºC. The horse died on Friday 22 July 2011 despite veterinary intervention. CVO Bulletin here>

(24) Logan (Qld) Died - 28 June 2011
On 26 June 2011, a private veterinarian attended the horse and reported the main clinical signs as ataxia and mild colic. The horse had a body temperature of 39ºC and a heart rate of 90-110BPM. An ocular discharge was also reported. The horse showed progressive neurological signs, rapidly deteriorated, and was euthanased on 28 June 2011 by the private veterinarian. (See CVO Bulletin for case 25)

(23) Lismore (NSW) 14 July 2011
The horse, an 11 year old gelding died suddenly on 14 July. It had been observed to be normal that morning and was found dead late in the afternoon with no evidence of struggling. Samples from the dead horse were collected by the Senior District Veterinarian with the North Coast Livestock Health and Pest Authority wearing full PPE and submitted to the state virology laboratory. The dead horse was buried on the property. There is a fig tree in the horse paddock and bats are seen occasionally.
CVO Bulletin here>

(22) Boondall (Qld) 14 July 2011
Initially reported as Boondall, later reported as Zillmere. A private veterinarian attended to the sick horse on 14 July 2011 and reported that the horse was showing clinical signs of ataxia, intermittent inappetance and lethargy.
The horse had a body temperature of 39.5ºC and was euthanased on 15 July 2011 after deteriorating.
CVO Bulletin here>

(21) Hervey Bay (Qld)13 July 2011
A private veterinarian attended to the sick horse on 13 July 2011 and reported the clinical signs as a rapid onset, the horse being down and unable to rise, injected mucous membranes, lateral recumbency and a body temperature of 40.5ºC.
The horse was euthanased on the 13 July 2011 and has been disposed of on the property.
The following results were obtained:
· Blood PCR positive · Vaginal swab PCR positive · Nasal swab PCR positive
CVO Bulletin here>

(20) Kuranda - (Qld) 11 July 2011
The horse was showing clinical signs of ataxia;
depression disorientation; neck muscle
fasciculation; and recumbency. The horse had a body temperature of 37.8ºC and rapidly deteriorated. The horse subsequently died and has been disposed of on the property.
The results showed the following:
· Blood PCR positive
· Rectal swab PCR positive
· Nasal cavity PCR negative CVO Bulletin here>

(19) Macksville - NSW 3 July 2011
A horse from a property near Macksville on the NSW Mid Coast was confirmed to be infected with Hendra virus on 6 July 2011.

The horse, a 16 year old thoroughbred mare appeared normal until late on Friday, when she was noticed to be depressed. Early on Saturday morning she went through several fences, appeared blind, and was head-pressing. She was found dead early on Sunday morning.
CVO Bulletin here>

(18) Park Ridge-Qld - 4 July 2011
On 4 July 2011, a private veterinarian examined the aged horse, which had been reported as depressed by the owners. The only significant finding on clinical examination was a rectal temperature of 40.0°C. The horse died overnight and was buried on the property.

Biosecurity Queensland collected samples from the dead horse and the following PCR results were reported: • blood positive • nasal and oral swabs negative • rectal and urethral swabs positive. CVO Bulletin here>

Despite the CVO bulletin saying the only significant finding on this horse was a rectal temperature, he stated in the media:

Dr Symons said the horse died quickly.
''It was unbalanced, could not walk. It had a swollen face,'' he told reporters.
Source: The Australian

(17) Mt Alford - Qld - 1 July 2011
A horse became sick on 1 July 2011 and samples from this horse were sent to Biosecurity Queensland for testing. The horse was later euthanased by a private veterinarian. CVO Bulletin 2 July does not list clinical presentation of this horse.
Previously a horse on the property was sick on 20 June 2011 and was later euthanased by a private veterinarian. Blood samples were collected, and after the confirmation of the horse that died on 1 July, these samples were tested and confirmed positive to HeV. CVO Bulletin 4 July

The horse that was euthanased on 20 June 2011 was showing the following clinical signs:
· on the morning of the 20 June 2011 the horse was noticed standing alone and “breathing funny”
· at around 4:30pm the horse was noticed to be in lateral recumbency and thrashing wildly
· the horse had rigid legs, swollen face and clenched teeth
· oral MM were purple

A third horse on the Mt Alford property has been euthanased today (4 July) by Biosecurity Queensland veterinarians. As the horse started displaying clinical signs and deteriorated over the last 24 hours, the horse was euthanased on humane grounds. This was done with the consent of the owners.

(16) Wollongbar (NSW) 30 June 2011
First horse infected at Wollongbar
The horse was reported as being off colour and feverish on Tuesday 28 June 2100. On Tuesday evening the horse was examined by a private veterinary practitioner who noted it had a high fever (40.8), significantly elevated heart and respiration rates, brick red mucous membranes and was only passing scant faeces. The horse also had neurological signs including; slight ataxia, a wide frontal stance and a lip droop. The horse was treated for endotoxaemia and initially appeared to be responding to treatment. The horse was revisited by the private practitioner several times on Wednesday 29 June and was euthansed very early in the morning of Thursday 30 June after developing severe neurological signs including apparent blindness. CVO Bulletin here>

Second horse infected at Wollongbar
The companion horse on the property quarantined in the Wollongbar area was euthanased on 12 July 2011, after laboratory testing at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory confirmed that it was infected with Hendra virus. It was noticed to be off its food on 10 July 2011 and became more depressed, showing signs consistent with Hendra virus infection including: shifting weight, fever, increased heart and respiration rates. It is believed that this horse became infected with Hendra following very close contact with the original infected horse. CVO Bulletin here>

(15) Kerry - Qld - 26 June 2011
It was reported as becoming suddenly ill and a private veterinary practitioner examined the horse on Saturday 25 June. The horse died the following day. Clinical signs noted were depression, hind limb incoordination, pyrexia, respiratory distress and congested oral mucous membranes with petechial haemorrhages. CVO Bulletin>

2011
18 Separate Outbreaks Detected as at October

Update - 6th August 2011

Horse with Hendra Virus at Koah July 2011 Australia

Clinical Sympto ms
Horses that are infected with Hendra have shown variable and often vague clinical signs. There are some symptom s that have been common to recorded cases, with or without some of the other observed symptom s.
Common clinical signs:
• • • • • •	acute onset of illness increased body temperature increased heart rate discomfort / weight shifting between legs (both fore and hind limbs) depression rapid deterioration.
Some other clinical observatio ns that have been noted include the following.
Respirato ry signs, including:
• • • •	pulmonary oedema and congestion respiratory distress - increased respiratory rates terminal nasal discharge - can be initially clear progressing to stable white froth and/or stable blood-stained froth pulmonary involvement leading to terminal weakness, ataxia and collapse.
Neurologi cal signs, including:
• • • • • •	‘wobbly gait’ progressing to ataxia altered consciousness - apparent loss of vision in one or both eyes, aimless walking in a dazed state head tilting, circling. Head Pressing muscle twitching - myoclonic spasms have been seen in acutely ill and recovered horses urinary incontinence recumbency with inability to rise.
Other observatio ns, including:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •	previous unexplained horse deaths (Note: This is important to check and has been a feature in a number of the incidents to date) facial oedema (swelling) facial paralysis and/or a locked jaw spasms of the jaw, involuntary chomping muscle trembling altered gait, high stepping anorexia congestion of oral mucous membranes a high case fatality rate within 48 hours where there are multiple cases colic-like symptoms in some cases (generally quiet abdominal sounds on auscultation of the abdomen in pre-terminal cases) straining with difficulty passing manure stranguria (difficult urination) - seen in several terminal cases in both males and females (Hendra1994); dribbling urine - seen in some terminal cases (Redlands 2008) hot hooves bad breath/halitosis delayed blood clotting times.

1994 - 2010
Only 14 outbreaks recorded

33) Townsville Qld
The three-year-old horse was first seen to be unwell on the morning of Tuesday 3 January 2012. A private veterinarian examined the horse on Tuesday 3 January 2012 and collected samples for Hendra virus testing.
CVO Bulletin 5 January 2012

Just 3 days into the new year and already the first case for 2012