Bird flu saved Australian horse industry: experts
04/Aug/2008 Intellasia | Ninemsn
Aug 4, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM
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The global threat of bird flu saved the Australian horse industry, experts say.
In 2004, the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory developed a molecular diagnostic test for bird flu, at a time when equine influenza (EI) was not even on the radar.
Three-years later, the same test was used in the effort to stop the spread of EI, with Agtrans Research saying it allowed authorities to determine the best ways to contain it.
"It's fortuitous that this diagnostic test could be applied to horse flu, as it's highly unlikely that a similar test could have been developed in a timely manner once the outbreak had been detected," Agtrans' Dr Peter Chudleigh said in a statement.
"The use of the test supported the decision to try for eventual eradication."
Dr Chudleigh said the main benefit from the diagnostic test was how quickly EI could be detected.
Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre chief executive Dr Stephen Prowse said the economic benefit of using the diagnostic test was more than US$134 million.
"It took 125 days to eradicate equine influenza," he said.
But using the test enabled Australia to demonstrate freedom from the disease to the international community much earlier than would have otherwise been possible, he said.
"(And) at a much reduced expense to the industry, and freeing up horse movements," Dr Prowse said.
EI entered Australia through a Sydney quarantine centre, then spread through NSW and Queensland, shutting down the racing industry in those states for three months.
The breakout led to the cancellation of the 2007 Sydney Spring Carnival and the Queensland Summer Carnival, threatened the Melbourne Cup and disrupted breeding, exports and equestrian events.
The federal government is facing millions of dollars in compensation claims from the racing industry after a damning report blamed the quarantine authority for the devastating outbreak.
Australia was officially declared EI free on June 30, six months after the last detected case.
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