Fears vets exposed to deadly virus

by renovatio | July 9, 2008 at 03:47 am | 271 views | 2 comments

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Hendra virus (formerly called equine morbillivirus) is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus was first isolated in 1994 from specimens obtained during an outbreak of respiratory and neurologic disease in horses and humans in Hendra, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia.
Nipah virus, also a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, is related but not identical to Hendra virus. Nipah virus was initially isolated in 1999 upon examining samples from an outbreak of encephalitis and respiratory illness among adult men in Malaysia and Singapore. Its name originated from Sungai Nipah, a village in the Malaysian Penninsula where pig farmers became ill with encephalitis.

A PERSON has tested positive for the deadly Hendra virus following an outbreak among horses in Brisbane.

Queensland Health confirmed a Brisbane person tested positive yesterday.

A spokeswoman declined to say whether the affected person was male or female but confirmed
they worked with the affected horses.

They were among a number of people tested for the virus following an outbreak among horses at a bayside veterinary clinic last week.

To date, all other people who had contact with sick horses are well.

Brisbane Southside Population Health Unit medical officer Dr Brad McCall said the affected person was admitted to a Brisbane hospital yesterday for observation and assessment and was discharged this afternoon.

"The person was in good spirits and not exhibiting apparent symptoms," he said.

Queensland Health will monitor the health of the person who has been advised to stay at home for a week.

There have been no recorded cases of the virus being spread between humans.

Those who contracted Hendra in the past got the infection through close contact with affected horses.

"The risk of human to human spread of the virus is very minimal," Dr McCall said.

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.