Vet's Spot

with Dr Merrilyn Fitzgerald

Horse Flu Outbreak

I am sure you have all heard about the horse flu outbreak in recent weeks but I thought I would just give you all a quick summary.

• Horse flu has never been in Australia till now.
• It is not normally fatal but can make horses ill for a long time and can cause permanent poor performance.
• Symptoms are fever, runny nose that starts clear and goes coloured , harsh hacking cough and reluctance to move.
• It is highly contagious and is spread by horse to horse contact , on shared gear , feedstuff , vehicles and on peoples clothes.
• There is a vaccination but is not currently available in Australia.

As of 27th August there is a ban on all horses movements in NSW and on any horse events- shows, pony club etc. It  is really important that people do not move there horses till the outbreak has been controlled.

David Johnson of Pacific Vetcare has been appointed by the Department of Primary Industries to co-ordinate treatment  and control in this area should we have any horses with suspected horse flu. He can be contacted on 66523455.

If you have a horse that develops a high fever and respiratory signs please call your vet immediately – especially if your horse has travelled recently.

Do you have a particular veterinary problem you want discussed? email Merrilyn on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with suggestions for Vetspot.