Australian police horses struck down with flu

New South Wales Police say eight police horses are believed to be suffering from the equine influenza virus and all the force's mounts have now been quarantined at their Redfern barracks.

Mounted officers will now be unable to take part in policing the upcoming APEC leaders summit in Sydney.

Mounted police had been expected to play a major part in efforts to contain the protesters who are expected to try to disrupt the event, which starts next week.

In a statement, NSW police say all 36 police horses have been quarantined and the isolation measures will remain in place for another 30 days after their recovery.

"Three horses were initially showing symptoms of EI [equine influenza] - now eight are believed to be suffering the virus," the statement said.

"It won't stop us being able to protect dignitaries, the public or police at any planned protest," Deputy Commissioner Andrew Scipione added.

Plans for mounted police to be brought from interstate have also been abandoned.

Meanwhile NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald says it is increasingly likely that a quarantine breach at Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine station caused the current outbreak.

Mr Macdonald is calling for the Federal Government to launch a full inquiry into the outbreak....

August 29, 2007

SINCE the first horse sneezed last Saturday at Sydney's Centennial
Park, veterinarian Patricia Ellis hasbeen on the run while the nation's
racing industry has ground to a standstill.

"I've been fielding myriad local, interstate and international calls
until well after midnight," says the exhausted adviser to the
Australian Racing Board and member of the group managing Australia's
equine influenza outbreak. "We've been meeting by teleconference daily
since last Saturday."

"We" is Ellis and her scientific and veterinary colleagues on the
Consultative Committee for Emergency Animal Diseases, chaired by acting
chief veterinarian Eva-Maria Bernoth.

Animal health experts knew last Saturday they had to hit the virus
hard and fast. They knew that was the only chance they had of
containing a flu epidemic that has already left the racing industry
reeling.

Authorities such as Ellis know that while even the worst case of the
flu is unlikely to kill a horse, the economic consequences could prove
catastrophic.

Betting shops across the nation are near empty. There will be no
racing in NSW and Queensland until at least next week. Thousands of
people who depend on racing for their livelihood are receiving no
income. This weekend's Birdsville Cup, Queensland's historic bush race
meeting, is the latest casualty. Rural shows in NSW and Queensland have
been cancelled. Security plans for the Asia-Pacific Economic
Co-operation forum summit are in disarray after the virus spread to the
NSW mounted police unit in Sydney's Redfern. All 36 of the NSW mounted
police horses have been quarantined after six tested positive. The
losses are being tallied in the hundreds of millions....