BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION - Equine Influenza and the Future

by Portland Jones

"So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun"

(John Lennon 1971)

John Lennon wrote those words in December 1971. Thirty six years later and a half a world away we can also reflect on the year that has passed. The year 2007 started routinely but since August 25th the horse industry has faced the most significant disease emergency in Australian history, and it’s not over yet. The Equine Influenza (EI) epidemic is undoubtedly going to change equestrian sport and culture in this country but the exact nature of these changes will be dependent upon how we, as an industry, use what we have learned in the past few months.

No one seems to know why it is that people love horses, but they do. Perhaps it is the many and varied reasons that we all become involved with horses in the first place that gives this industry its diversity. This diversity defines the horse industry but it also divides us. Although united in a love for the horse there is no unified voice, no political representation, no compulsory registration and no governing body for all horses.

So what? As a group of rugged individualists with a heritage hewn from hard work and overcoming adversity, horse owners are resourceful, energetic and hard-working. In show-business they say “never work with children or animals” but hey, many of us choose to do just that every day. People with horses don’t want to be bound by someone else’s rules and they don’t need any hand-holding nanny organisation telling them what they can and can’t do. Do they?

The EI epidemic has illustrated just how vulnerable this industry is, not only to outside threats but also to policy, legislation and the whims of government. Unlike the racing and harness industries, those who work with pleasure and performance horses have no single representative body to go in to bat for us and no reliable way of disseminating information quickly and efficiently. Sure, there are plenty of us but the adage “there’s

THE COSTS TO COME
As an example, many horse owners are unaware that they will be footing most of the bill for the costs of containing and eradicating EI. That’s right; everyone who owns a horse, from the wealthiest racehorse owner to Mr. and Mrs. Battler with two unbranded ‘lawnmowers’ in the back paddock will be ‘paying’. And it won’t be means tested; it will be based on a cost per horse, which means that the pleasure and performance horse industry will carry most of the debt because in terms of numbers they have the most horses.

This situation is outlined in the Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA) which is a contractual arrangement between government and industry. In this contract both parties agree on their financial responsibilities in the event of a disease outbreak and the ways in which the costs will be shared. These costs relate only to the cost of containment and eradication and not to the losses incurred by individuals or hardship imposed by the containment strategies.

EADRA allows the government to run an effective eradication campaign without really worrying too much about the cost, secure in the knowledge that industry will eventually cover most of the bill. EADRA (and its cousin Cost Sharing Arrangement or CSA) are not restricted to the horse industry; they are applicable to all animal based industries. All known diseases are categorized according to their impact on Australia’s overall economy and the cost sharing is based on the disease’s classification. For a category one disease (like rabies) that will have a major impact on humans and livestock the government will cover all the costs of eradication. A category two disease (such as foot and mouth) that will have widespread impact on the national economy will be covered 80% by government and 20% by industry, a category three disease (such as anthrax) that impacts both on industry and the economy will split the costs equally and a category four disease that mostly impacts on industry will be covered 20% by government and 80% by industry. Equine Influenza, despite the catastrophic effects of the lockdown on people’s livelihoods has been classified as a category four disease. And we agreed to that classification when we, as an industry, signed EADRA.

So far the cost of containment is up around $36 million. This means that the industry will be liable for eighty percent of that or about $30 million. The estimated number of horses in Australia is around 1 million so using these figures the amount each owner will be responsible for will be approximately $30 per horse, if no further funds are allocted to continue the eradication program. When it is considered that if eradication did not happen then all horse owners would have to vaccinate their horses two or three times a year - at an estimated cost of $120 each horse - then the horse industry is actually far better of financially paying their share of the eradication costs.

QUARANTINE QUANDRY
For several years well-informed people have been predicting not only this epidemic but its devastating effects. The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) has been considering ways to cut the costs of quarantine and related services for many years. They have considered the possibility of privatising Eastern Creek Quarantine station and sold the 22 hectare property for $6 million in 2001, leasing it back ever since. They have also considered replacing AQIS veterinary officers with quarantine officers from the AQIS air cargo unit who have no specialized veterinary training. In September 2004 Andrew Ramsden, chairman of the Australian Racing Board wrote to the then Agriculture Minister Warren Truss about the proposal to replace AQIS vets with cargo staff warning, “Equine Influenza is the exotic disease that the Australian horse industry most fears. If Equine Influenza gained entry into Australia, it would close down racing and other horse events for several months, with catastrophic consequences.”

In 2005 Warren Truss wrote to the Australian Racing Board assuring them that an outbreak of EI was extremely unlikely given the AQIS protocols. This is despite the lax standards that were being maintained at Eastern Creek. It has now been revealed in the EI Inquiry being conducted by Ian Callinan that many of the visitors to the quarantine station did not bother to sign the guest book, wear protective clothes or bother to wash down on exit. And while finger pointing and blame laying can not help those whose livelihoods have been irreparably damaged it does give us a moment to consider what could have been. What if the breach at Eastern Creek allowed a far more sinister disease into Australia?

OTHER EXOTICS
In 2001 West Nile virus was carried into the Eastern Creek Quarantine Station on a Canadian shuttle stallion. It’s not just horses that catch West Nile, it kills people too. There are dozens of other diseases that could be far more devastating than EI and its not just our livelihoods that are at stake, its our lives. The state of Australia’s quarantine services should be a matter of intense interest to every Australian but especially those who work with livestock.

COMPENSATION?
If it is proven that the AQIS was negligent, it has been suggested that the racing industry may claim $500 million of taxpayer’s money in compensation. Although figures differ widely, it has been estimated that racing alone has lost $4.2 million per day since August 25. A report on ABC Landline indicated the performance and pleasure industry was losing up to $5 million per day. Small operators, struggling under large debts, may choose to close down their businesses and find employment elsewhere. And the question has to be asked, if they do move outside the horse industry to earn their living, will they return after EI?

BUT IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS
At mid November the EI tally in NSW stood at 5426 infected properties (and around 41,000 horses). The number of new infected properties is declining each day and large parts of NSW have been rezoned to reflect their lower risk status. Vaccinations in NSW are going according to plan with 17,000 out of an eligible 23,921 horses in the buffer zone already done (at the time of writing). In QLD the tally stands at 2178 infected properties and, although there are a rising number of properties being declared, there have been no major, recent breaches of the buffer zones. Vaccinations in QLD are well under way with an estimated 26,000 horses to be done in the buffer zone over the coming weeks. The rest of Australia is currently still on alert but contrary to the many rumours there have been no cases confirmed in any other state; although hundreds of horses have been tested. In a “business risk mitigation strategy” about 10,000 horses outside the buffer zones have been vaccinated to protect the Spring Racing Carnival in Victoria.

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
Once again it seems that the government is looking after the interests of the people involved with racing and forgetting about the rest of the horse industry. So what? Complaining that the shuttle stallions brought EI to Australia and that racing should get with the 21st century and adopt artificial insemination and that racing is getting all the government funding and race horses are getting all the vaccinations are pointless because it prevents us from the real task at hand. We have to get organised and get political to prevent a situation like this one from ever occurring again. Within half an hour of the lockdown being declared Racing and Wagering Western Australia had sent an SMS message to 500 of its members informing them of the outbreak. They had contingency plans and biosecurity protocols already decided on and apart from maintaining a strong political presence have kept in close contact with their members on all aspects of the EI epidemic. How many non-racing horse groups have these procedures in place even now?

WHAT HAS YOUR ASSOCIATION DONE FOR YOU?
Some equestrian and breed clubs/ associations have done a wonderful job of keeping members informed on how EI would affect them, while others totally ignored the issues. It is this inconsistant approach and fragmentation that needs to be addressed if the recreation, pleasure and performance industry do not wish to be continually regarded as ‘poor cousins’ to the racing and pacing industries.

YOUR CHOICE - disorganised rabble or progressive recreation industry?
This extract from a letter by a concerned citizen was found on the web:
If you just want to vent because things are frustrating / slow / bureaucratic / DPI hasn’t a clue etc etc just keep blogging. If you want the best information, register on the HECD at www.horsecouncil.org.au.If you have an ordinary sort of a query or need a permit etc call the Hotline 1300 675 888. If you are pissed off with racing seeming to get a better deal in just about everything contact State or Federal Ministers (just add another to the many thousands they have received to date). If you want to have to pay $300 per year to have your horse chipped / vaccinated / passported (EFA figures) and have the disease declared endemic straight after the Melbourne Cup then continue to act like a disorganised rabble. If you would like to see the disease contained and eventually eradicated while at the same time getting things back to business, try to engender unity and pull behind the people who are trying to help you. If you want to do something positive join the AHIC.

Regardless of which vehicle the non racing sector use for political representation they need to decide, unite and get behind it. And they need you to become involved. It is not something that any horse owner can afford to be appathetic about, nor is it something that should be left to ‘someone else’ - the future of the horse industry is in your hands. Let’s make 2008 the year the horse industry gets organised, lets work together to achieve the best results for all horses - racing, pacing and recreation. And to everyone involved with horses let’s hope this is a Merry Christmas!

So this is Christmas And what have you done?
Another year over And a new one begun
A very Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one Without any fear.
(John Lennon 1971)

A Farrier's Point of View
Farriers throughout NSW and Queensland have seen their primary source of income come to a complete halt due to the Equine Influenza outbreak. The state-wide lockdown in NSW meant no work for farriers for over two weeks. When the return to work commenced, along with it came a set of strict biosecurity measures including full disinfection of vehicle, all equipment, tools and self, along with a restriction of access to one horse property per day. Return to work has been anything but normal with additional time taken carrying out disinfection procedures and mileage returning home between all properties.

One dilemma facing farriers who have been allowed to return to work under the biosecurity guidelines is the cleaning of tools without ruining them. Unlike many of the tools used by dentists and veterinarians, farriers’ tools are not designed to get wet, which means additional maintenance procedures also need to be carried out after disinfection to protect tools from rust. Another recommendation is that vehicles be left outside the property. This can be satisfactory for trimming work; however, for shoeing work most professional farriers have a fully equipped mobile workshop with gas forge, anvil, and often power tools, which must be thoroughly disinfected between properties. This is most impractical and many farriers have been choosing to leave much of their equipment at home, giving them minimal gear to clean.

Apart from the financial impact, as a farrier it has been distressing to see normally well maintained feet deteriorate because they are overdue for trimming due to the restrictions. Even in areas of NSW that remain EI free, and where decontamination procedures have been relaxed as in my case, many horse owners have elected to remove the shoes from their horses and only have them trimmed as there are no competitions scheduled in the near future.

For me, income is currently less than 40% of what it would normally be at this time of year, and it looks as if the situation will remain the same for several months. Fuel costs are extra high relative to income due to the interruption to regular scheduled appointments that I would normally have arranged geographically. Likewise, the phone bill is higher than normal due to the constant reorganising of appointments. I imagine that many others are in as bad or worse situation than myself. Adrian Cowell, Farrier.

HUMAN IMPACTS SURVEY
In the three months Equine Influenza (EI) has been in Australia it has caused financial and personal hardships for many horse owners and businesses involved with the equine industry. While the aim of authorities is to have the disease eradicated from Australia before mid 2008, the economical costs may be ongoing for some time.

To assist the horse industry to calculate the effects of disruption caused by the EI emergency, the University of Western Sydney has put together a survey to enable horse industry participants to provide data about their experiences. The Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) urges you to participate and provide data for analysis. The survey is anonymous and the results will be used to inform industry and government about the flow-on effects of an emergency disease outbreak. You can access the survey at the following link: h t t p s : / / w w w . s u r v e y m o n k e y . c o m / s.aspx?sm=XHWoJwNHnPExBCj0sdt1iA_3d_3d or contact the AHIC at www.horsecouncil.org.au

WE’VE SPENT $36 MILLION
The National Management Group (NMG) overseeing the national response to equine influenza has reassessed progress and believes there are positive signs control measures are working. Under industry/government cost-sharing agreements for emergency animal disease responses including equine influenza, the control and eradication costs are capped at 1 per cent of the gross value of production (GVP) of that particular sector. NMG noted that horse flu response costs had now exceeded $36 million, passing the previously agreed GVP limit. At the time of writing it is believed a further $18 million has been allocated. A study in 2000 estimated that the contribution of the industry to the Australian economy is over $6.2 billion a year. The contribution is measured in terms of final inputs to the industry as the outputs are mostly recreation and entertainment. If the value of volunteer labour is included the contribution is over $8 billion a year. While racing and associated activities (breeding and wagering) contribute a little over half, horse businesses, equestrian and breed events and the maintenance of horses are very large industries in themselves.

$227 MILLION IN ASSISTANCE
Outside the estimated $36million cost of managing the containment of Equine Influenza the Federal Government has put forward funding packages to help those affected financially.The first Federal Government Assistance Package announced on 9 September was $110 million with further $117 million added in October to extend the assistance package into February 2008.

The funding package includes:
* Equine Workers Hardship Wage Supplement Payment – fortnightly payments to individuals who have lost their incomes
* Equine Influenza Business Assistance Grant (EIBAG), both administered by Centrelink , $5000 business assistance grant to owners
*Commercial Horse Assistance Payment (CHAP) for owners of racing, harness and professional equestrian competition horses, CHAP is managed by relevant racing and harness authorities, for other commercial horses owners should contact EFA NSW or EFA QLD
* Grants for non-government, not-for-profit equestrian organizations of up to $200,000.
Centrelink EI Hotline: 1800 234 002.

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD
Voice your support for the horse industry and thoughts on containment and eradication of EI by contacting.
STATE MINISTERS FOR AGRICULTURE
Qld Tim Mulherin dpi@ministerial.qld.gov.au Electoral Office
(07) 4957 8422 Fax: (07) 4951 4794
NSW Ian McDonald macdonald.office@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au
Phone (02) 9228 3344 Fax (02) 9228 3452
VIC Joe Helper joe.helper@parliament.vic.gov.au Parliamentary Office
Ph (03) 9658 4670 Fax (03) 9658 4631
SA Rory McEwen pirsa.ministers@state.sa.gov.au Ph (08) 8226 0322 Fax (08) 8226 0316
WA Kim Chance kim-chance@dpc.wa.gov.au Phone (08) 9213 6700 Fax: (08) 9213 6701
NT Chris Natt minister.natt@nt.gov.au Phone: (08) 8901 4132 Fax: (08) 8901 4134

VACCINATION?
Since the first days of the Equine Influenza (EI) outbreak the issue of vaccination has been contentious. The pros and cons of vaccinating have been widely debated and although it is now obvious that vaccination will play a part in Australia’s response to EI it is not the complete solution and it is only one part of any effective virus control strategy - alone, it will certainly not eradicate this disease.

Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to produce immunity. An antigen is a substance that is introduced into the blood to stimulate the production of antibodies. It works by preparing an individual’s immune system and allowing it to recognize a disease in the event of future exposure.

EI is a mild disease. It only effects equines, has a low mortality rate and few debilitating long term effects; it is the horse equivalent of having an extremely nasty dose of the flu. However, its effect on the multi billion dollar equestrian industry is crippling and it is for this reason that vaccination is an issue of national concern. Vaccination is not always totally effective. While vaccination provides life-long, complete immunity from some diseases, from others, such as the influenza virus (in both humans and horses) the results are less spectacular. This is because these viruses are wily and cunning; they change over time and disguise themselves to trick an individual’s immune system. In a process called antigenic drift viruses change their protective protein coats, a process which allows them to sneak in undetected. New strains of the influenza virus also emerge quite regularly which is why you can catch influenza every year even if you have had a ‘flu shot’ or had ‘flu the year before. Most influenza viruses have at least two subtypes and vaccines have to be specifically for use against the strain of virus present in an outbreak to be effective.

Vaccination against EI will not prevent the disease or its transmission but it will lessen the duration of illness, the severity of the disease and vaccinated horses shed less virus for shorter periods of time, that is they are less contagious. However, due to antigenic drift, some fully vaccinated horses may contract EI, showing very few clinical signs but still shedding virus and providing sources of new infection. They shouldn’t be confused with so called ‘carriers’. Some viruses, like herpes, remain in an individual’s body forever after infection. Herpes virus is one of these and if you have ever had herpes you are a carrier and can infect others when the virus is active. Luckily EI is not one of these and there is no carrier state in the normal, recovered horse.

If vaccination was to be effective, at least 70% of the horse population would have to be fully vaccinated. With EI this would probably involve an initial course of two injections and boosters every six months. Australia has a horse population of approximately 1.2 million horses which means that 840,000 horses will need to be vaccinated. At a cost of approximately $375 per horse for the initial course this will cost $315 million. Australia has an estimated 300,000 feral horses which means that to get to 70% vaccination rates, almost every single domestic horse in the country will have to be vaccinated. If Australia adopts widespread vaccination there will need to be ways of ensuring that every horse is vaccinated. Therefore it seems likely that along with vaccination will come compulsory micro-chipping and horse passports. These will almost certainly be necessary for ALL equines, not just elite competition horses.

If we add the cost of micro-chipping (approximately $100 per animal) to the cost of vaccination this increases the cost of initial vaccination considerably. Australian racehorses are already micro-chipped but all other horses, donkeys and mules may have to be done - and probably at the individual’s expense. The USA is currently implementing a National Animal Identification System (NAIS) for all domestic livestock. This voluntary scheme will require participants to register their premises and have their animals identified (via micro-chip) with an Animal Identification Number (AIN) that is unique and will stay with that animal for its lifetime. Animal tracking databases that allow the movements of animals to be followed will be maintained by each state and this should assist in controlling disease outbreaks when they occur. It is quite possible that Australia may be forced to adopt a system like this in the future to help prevent devastating outbreaks of contagious diseases.

There still seems to be a question mark over whether Australia will ever eradicate Equine Influenza and for those of us with horses, things may never be quite the same again. How it got here and why is almost irrelevant. What we need to do now is support the containment but come up with a strategy should this fail. This will almost undoubtedly involve wide-spread vaccination, so EI can be controlled as much as is possible and facilitate a return to ‘business ’ for our industry, but if this occurs then horse ownership will never again be the same as it was pre EI.

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES OF VACCINATION

ADVANTAGES
1. It can prevent disease
2. It will reduce the susceptibility of horses to the infection
3. It will reduce the severity of symptoms
4. It can reduce the spread of the disease
5. It will allow a return to normality.

DISADVANTAGES
1. It may mask clinical signs and make detection difficult. EI in vaccinated horses is difficult to diagnose, even for vets
2. It may facilitate the spread of the disease via vaccinated horses with very mild symptoms
3. It may prolong the need for lock-downs as it slows the transmission of the disease increasing the amount of time it takes the virus to work its way through a horse population
4. Some permanent form of identification (eg microchips and passports) will be needed to identify vaccinated horses
5. Vaccination can have side effects like fevers, affecting performance in the short term
6. The cost of vaccinating 70% of the population may be very high And as if that wasn’t enough to consider, there are three different types of vaccine to choose from.
These are:
1. KILLED OR INACTIVATED VACCINE With this type of vaccine the virus is killed by chemicals or heat and mixed with a carrier. The main benefit is the absence of any form of live virus which means the disease can’t spread. The vaccine is given by intra-muscular injection and the initial course is 2 shots, 4 – 6 weeks apart. Optimal immunity is present 7 – 14 days after the second dose. Manufacturers recommend a booster vaccination at six months with annual or more frequent boosters required depending on the likely exposure.
2. LIVE MODIFIED VACCINE The virus is made safe by a process called attenuation. This kind of vaccine provides quicker and stronger immunity than the inactivated vaccine but does have a slight risk of spreading the disease if incorrectly used. This vaccine is given in a single does with boosters at six monthly intervals. Protection is as early as 7 days after the first injection. This vaccine should not be given to pregnant mares or young horses under the age of 11 months.
3. RECOMBINANT VACCINE For this vaccine selected genes from the EI virus are inserted into a safe, non disease causing virus. A recombinant canary pox vector (vector = carrier) is available in Europe and the USA. The vaccine is given via intra-muscular injection with 2 initial injections and boosters at 6 months. The onset of immunity is at about 14 days after the first injection. This is the vaccine that Australia is currently using in its ‘ring vaccination’ program.

Insurance and Equine Influenza. by Julia McLean
Horse owners and equestrian societies take out a range of insurance cover for public liability (if the horse damages a third party or property) and to cover event cancellation. Business takes out insurances to protect loss of revenues, costs and assets associated in maintaining a business.

The horse flu epidemic, claimed as a result of quarantine failure, is an unprecedented event. There are the obvious issues in cover for a horse that contracts the virus and as a result is permanently disabled, but what of those raised by loss of earnings because of movement restrictions or culpability event organizers and committee members.

The topic proved prickly and getting brokers to speak directly to the issue difficult. The EFA’s advice is to consult closely with your insurer in all instances. The possibility of an EFA Coach transmitting EI to another property is addressed in policies and the Insurer has advised that “the Policy will be responded to”. This statement is no indication of outcome.

In speaking with a very large breed society they stated “show insurances for our affiliates are not affected if the bio-security guidelines and event regulations required by the Department of Primary Industries are strictly followed”. However one major insurer offered this advice:

“Guidance on whether to hold horse events should be obtained from peak industry bodies and government regulatory authorities. Whether the event holder has any insurance cover under their respective insurance policies in respect of EI related incidents is dependent on the circumstances and policy conditions which may differ from insurer to insurer.”

Attempting an expansion the broader subject, their advice was “to speak at length with your broker. They will have an understanding of your business and industry and are best placed to assist. There are too many factors affecting each policy to be able to make sweeping statements”.

Brokers are encouraging clients to consider all risks and how each situation might be handled in its eventuality. They also suggested “read policies thoroughly, check the way it is worded to ascertain what you are insured for”.

We were told that obtaining cover for a lockdown was feasible but most would find the premiums prohibitive. The concept of lockdown in the event of an outbreak of a disease is not a new one but one detailed in the AUSVET Plan. On general insurances and policies on horses, another company advised that “EI would be removed from new or renewed policies in the red and purple zones”.

KEY CONTACTS
Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
NSW equine influenza hotline: 1800 675 888
Website: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/equine-influenza
Queensland: Department of Primary Industry Web site: www.dpi.qld.gov.au

For more information on EI just click on the link below to download a PDF of the current
NSW Horselink Insert
NSW Horselink Insert