Is this thing supposed to be like an Epidemic? I have got a couple email alerts.

Sydney's Randwick Racecourse has been locked down this morning after at least two horses presented with high temperatures, leading to fears that the Equine Influenza (EI) outbreak may have spread to thoroughbreds.

To date, only recreational horses have been confirmed as having EI - 47 in NSW and three suspected cases at a World Cup equestrain qualifier event in Queensland.

Many of the affected horses in NSW are stabled at Centennial Park, close to Randwick Racecourse.

But the outbreak has shut down the multi-billion dollar racing and breeding industry since Saturday - costing the industry at least $100 million so far.

Concerns are also held that the Sydney and Melbourne spring carnivals, including the world famous Melbourne Cup, may be affected.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys said this morning a Bart Cummings-trained horse and others at Randwick were being monitored for possible symptoms of EI.

"A couple of horses have been found with slightly elevated temperatures, we have taken tests and they have been sent to a laboratory at Menangle," V'Landys told AAP.

"At the moment this is just a precaution but we are taking no risks and have locked down Randwick Racecourse."

NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald told radio 2KY the situation was extremely worrying.

"I must say it is not looking very good at this point," Mr Macdonald said.

"We do know a horse or two are being monitored.

"Randwick is within the range of the movement of this virus. It has been shown overseas to move eight kilometres in the air.

"I am aware of cases of elevated temperatures at Randwick and given that Centennial Park is so close we have taken a pro-active step.

"It is a very worrying situation - up until now it has been confined to leisure horses (in NSW) and we have been able to trace the movement of horses. It's not looking very good."

Authorities believe the EI outbreak may have spread from an event held at Maitland in the NSW Hunter Valley on August 18 and 19.

Owners who attended the Carols Ranch Riding Club event at Maitland on the weekend of August 18 and 19 have been urged to have their animals tested.

"It's early days yet, but a number of horses that attended an event at the property on that weekend are showing clinical signs of equine influenza," Mr Macdonald said in a statement.

"The NSW Chief Vet, Bruce Christie, has advised me that we need to locate and examine every single horse that entered and left the property."

Stephen Allonson, chief executive of Racing Victoria Limited, said no case of EI has been detected in Victoria and he was confident racing could resume in the state by Thursday at the latest.

"We've taken a complete audit of every horse movement in Victoria, we know exactly what horses have moved into Victoria, into the thoroughbred stables," Allonson told the Seven Network this morning.

"We're doing a complete vet check on every horse that has moved into Victoria so we can be sure that the virus isn't in Victoria, then we'll build a containment zone around Victoria and convince authorities that we can get back in business."

But he warned that if the enforced national stand-down of all horses continued, the carnival, including the Melbourne Cup, could be affected.

"If we can get back racing within the next few days, then I don't see that there should be any impact to the spring carnival," Allonson said.

"The ramifications of trying to move the carnival, and move the Melbourne Cup are obviously quite dramatic.

"We're doing our utmost to make sure that we don't have to do that."

Racing NSW and state Primary Industries department will meet today to discuss the shutdown, but V'Landy's expects it to be extended.

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said the enforced standstill appeared to be working.

"If you look at the relatively few numbers of locations where it's been detected or highly suspected, then the strategy of containment may very well be working," Mr McGauran told the Seven Network.

But he warned horse owners about getting complacent and urged them to adhere to the lockdown.

"It's going ok, but we're teetering on the edge. We should know within a few days whether or not the strategy of lockdown is working," Mr McGauran said.


I got this post from here

Race horse flu scare - Horse Racing - Sport - theage.com.au

Here is another One I just found.. I am going to look into this a little deeper. That is a pretty heavy fine. It must be serious.


HORSE owners face fines up to $20,000 if they move their animals, as authorities battle to stop what threatens to be the country's worst animal disease outbreak.

Police and Primary Industries officers have set up state border roadblocks to stop the movement of horses, with at least 47 interstate animals confirmed to have equine influenza.

As more cases of the disease were detected interstate yesterday and Randwick was locked down this morning, all Australian horses, donkeys and mules were confined to their yards and stables by a Federal Government order.

It has already affected the racing industry, betting agencies, tourism, pony clubs and mounted police.

Concerns are growing that horses could be banned from the Royal Adelaide Show next month, as plans for the state's biggest country race meeting, the Balaklava Cup, on Wednesday week, are also in doubt.

The Police Greys mounted division is out of action during the horse ban and the historic Victor Harbor Horse Tram made its last run for at least two days late yesterday.

The full effect of the 72-hour nationwide lockdown hit owners around Australia when events were cancelled and animals were held in quarantine at event grounds.

In NSW, where the outbreak originated at the Eastern Creek quarantine centre, the ban has been extended indefinitely. NSW police have already intercepted up to 40 owners breaking the movement order.

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran issued the order on Saturday, following the outbreak of the virus suspected to have come to Australia with three imported Japanese thoroughbreds.

He said last night that the Melbourne Cup could be postponed. "It is better to have a deferred Melbourne Cup than to have no Melbourne Cup at all," he said.

Racing Victoria rejected this, saying the event would go ahead even if interstate horses had to be excluded.

Top Japanese horses Delta Blues and Pop Rock are already out of the cup because they cannot enter quarantine in time.

The number of horses confirmed with the disease in NSW is 47, most of them at the Centennial Park Equestrian Centre in Sydney.

A federal investigation has been launched into whether a vet or float owner may have breached bio-security rules at the Eastern Creek centre and caused the outbreak.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys said it was crucial people adhered to the protocols regarding horse movement.

"Horses that left Centennial Park and went to Maitland infected other horses with cases now found at Parkes, Moombi, Berry, Wilberforce, Cattai and Wyong," he said.

"Tests are still being done to determine whether the strain of the virus is the same as the one found in the stallion at Eastern Creek."

While 47 cases had been confirmed, the count has unofficially topped 160.

The veterinarian in charge of horses at Centennial Park, Dr Tim Roberts, said almost every horse at the complex had the virus.

Late last night, there was still no sign of the disease in South Australia, but the strict ban on any horse movement remained in place.

Round-the-clock roadblocks have been set up at Yamba, Pinnaroo and Oodlawirra. Police are also on the lookout for anyone transporting horses.

The ban will be reassessed at noon tomorrow. South Australia's chief veterinary officer, Rod Rahaley, said the outbreak had the potential to be the country's worst for an animal disease.

"I think it has got the potential to be the worst outbreak ever . . . it could become so widespread so quickly," he said. "The danger is that this could disseminate through the country very quickly and that's why it's so important to have a standstill of horse movement in place."

Dr Rahaley said the disease, never before detected in Australia, spread easily.

"It is going to be a challenge trying to control this because it is so contagious," he said.

The disease is not infectious to humans but it can be carried on clothing and spread to other horses.

It has threatened the nation's racing industry, which is expected to lose millions of dollars in revenue.

In 1986, an equine flu outbreak in South Africa forced its racing industry to close down for five months.

AdelaideNow... Fines for horse movers

Don't know if you followed this through till now. It was a terrible lose to everyone involved. Horses/owners/trainers, merchants the list is almost endless. It all got traced back to one horse who slipped through quarentine. It has progressed to the point that some of the teams and individual riders have chosen not to ride in the summer Olympics or that they have bypassed their qualifiers trying to get it under control.
We always have a bout of it here in the States but right now I think we are in the clear with Delaware being the last to lift quarentines. Scarey part is that they say 90% of horses have been exposed or are carriers and it just takes that one little stresser to cause the body to shead the virus.

Wow...that's crazy, just what one infected horse can do...

Opps, Spoke to soon. West Virginia under quarentine until April 6.