Hendra virus sampling, submission and testing business. Hendra virus disease does not require notification in victoria but as an emerging zoonotic virus it should be reported to the department. Hendra virus is maintained in asymptomatic flying foxes pteropid fruit bats. The spread of many viral diseases can be prevented by hygienic factors such as efficient sanitation facilities, effective waste disposal, clean water, and personal cleanliness. Horses in the areas where hendra virus has been located should be isolated if any of the symptoms of hendra virus are displayed. That the lethal hendra virus could jump from australias flying foxes to its humans might seem like nothing more than bad luck, an unfortunate but.
The cases reported in australia have all been in people who had close contact with infected horses. Occasionally the virus can spread from flying foxes to horses and, rarely, from horses to people. An investigation into agency responses to hendra virus incidents between january 2006 and december 2009. Hendra virus hev is a recently emerged, highly pathogenic, zoonotic virus and both hev and the closely related nipah virus niv are members of the. The virus can spread from flying foxes to horses, horses to horses and rarely, from horses to people. Hendra virus was discovered following an outbreak of illness in horses in a large racing stable in the suburb of hendra, brisbane in 1994. Hendra virus hev is a paramyxovirus genus henipavirus that causes respiratory and neurologic disease in horses and humans. As expected, treatment with eipa blocked niv replication in dc fig. A treatment for and vaccine against the deadly hendra and. For, there is a suggested correlation between breeding time and an increase in incidences of hendra virus in flying fox bats. Treatment aims to ease symptoms and reduce the risk of complications while the person recovers. Advanced antivirals against nipah and hendra are a hendrasg subunit vaccine and a human monoclonal antibody, m102. The incubation period is between five and eight days. Hendra virus is a zoonotic virus, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Hendra virus information for horse owners, handlers, competitors and event organisers what is hendra virus. First identified in 1994 in australia where the virus caused the death of two patients, one of pneumonia and the other of encephalitis that developed a year after the patients initial exposure. Veterinary practitioners and staff handling confirmed or suspected equine cases should follow appropriate infection control procedures, including wearing appropriate ppe refer to guidelines for veterinarians handling potential hendra virus infection in horses. In the context of hendra virus prevention, the term close contact means within 5m of an infected animal without any protective barrier i. Hendra virus infection can be prevented by avoiding horses that are ill or may be infected with hev and using appropriate personal protective equipment when contact is necessary, as in veterinary procedures. Additionally, recent research suggests that the upsurge in deforestation within australia may be leading to an increase in incidences of hendra virus.
Early recognition of the disease in the intermediate animal host is probably the most crucial means of limiting future human cases. Hev was discovered in 1994, and since then, infections have occurred in 7 humans, 4 of whom died. Overview of hendra virus infection merck veterinary manual. Hendra virus infection prevention advice queensland health. The natural host for hendra virus is the flying fox. A commercial vaccine has been recently licensed in australia for horses and could be beneficial for other animal species and eventually. Mar 17, 2014 hendra virus infection can be prevented by avoiding horses that are ill or may be infected with hev and using appropriate personal protective equipment when contact is necessary, as in veterinary procedures. Hendra virus and nipah virus are highly pathogenic paramyxoviruses that have recently emerged from. Accessing the blood means hendra virus can spread throughout the body by circulating independently or binding to leukocytes. Hendra virus horses animal diseases pests, diseases and. The virus also naturally infects species of the family. Hendra virus can cause disease in horses but only rarely causes disease in humans. Fruit bats are the reservoir hosts 2,3 and excrete virus in urine. Disease outbreaks among horses occur sporadically along the eastern coast of queensland and new south wales, australia.
And that has doctors concerned about climate change. Hendra virus is a zoonotic disease, which means it can transfer from animals to people. Nipah virus niv is a recently emerged zoonotic paramyxovirus whose natural. Hendra virus infection is an emerging viral disease of horses and humans in australia. The likelihood of hendra virus infection occurring in wa is considered low, because of the low numbers of horses where flying foxes occur, and the relatively low concentrations of flying foxes. Occasionally the virus can spread from flying foxes to horses and horses can then pass the infection on to humans. Lethal hendra virus outbreaks may be caused by man wired. Protection against henipavirus infection by use of recombinant. In australia, when hendra virus disease is suspected in a horse, an inspector from the livestock health and pest authority or department of primary industries must be notified. Hendra virus is category 1 restricted matter, under the biosecurity act 2014 as a horse owner or person who deals with horses, you have a legal obligation to take all reasonable and practical measures to prevent or minimise the effects of a biosecurity risk known as the general biosecurity obligation. The following table outlines the hendra virus infection events that have occurred in australia. Hendra virus infection including symptoms, treatment and. Hev 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. The natural host of hendra virus is the flying fox fruit bat.
The causative virus, now named hendra virus hev, is the reference virus for a proposed new genus within the virus family paramyxoviridae. The virus was first discovered after an outbreak of illness in horses at a stable in hendra, brisbane in 1994. That the lethal hendra virus could jump from australias flying foxes to its humans might seem like nothing more than bad luck, an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of contact with animals. Hendra virus hev is a recently emerged, highly pathogenic, zoonotic virus and both hev and the closely related nipah virus niv are members of the henipavirus genus within the family paramyxoviridae. Hendra virus hev is an emerging zoonotic paramyxovirus for which natural. Hendra virus infection in humans is rare, but its a very serious disease, and has occurred following close contact with the blood, tissues and body fluids e. In australia in 20, infection was detected in a dog that had been in contact with an infected horse. Hendra virus is believed to be partially seasonally related. The human outbreak in malaysia and singapore followed contact with infected swine and resulted in.
Hendra virus vaccine, a one health approach to protecting horse. Nipah virus niv emerged in 1998 to 1999, causing an outbreak of severe. Finally, we will address prevention and control measures for hendra virus, as well as actions to take if hendra virus. Since hendra virus was identified in 1994, more than 90 horses are known to have been infected. As of november 2011 all events have occurred in queensland or nsw. Nipah virus uses leukocytes for efficient dissemination within a host. Hendra virus is an infection that mainly infects large fruit bats flying foxes which can be passed on to horses. Hendra virus is a serious and potentially fatal virus that infects horses and can be transmitted to humans. These animals have either died as a direct result of their infection or have been euthanised.
The infection has occasionally been passed onto people who have been in close contact with an infected horse. Hendra virus has a specific tropism for vascular tissues, regardless of route of challenge. A small number of people who had very close contact with infected horses have developed hendra virus infection. Diagnosis of hendra virus infection in horses the speed at which this virus kills means that quite often it is diagnosed posthumously. Find out what to look out for and how to prevent this disease. The trainer subsequently died from the infection and the stable hand only recovered after a prolonged six months of illness. Hendra virus hev is a member of the family paramyxoviridae, genus henipavirus. Hendra virus is a rare disease that can be passed from an infected horse to a human. Take strict precautions for yourself, and anyone assisting you, when collecting samples for hendra virus hev testing. Current evidence indicates that the four species of australian flying foxes within the pteropus genus are the only known natural reservoir of. Climate change boosts lethal hendra virus scientific american. In 1994 the virus first came to light when a racing horse trainer and a member of his staff presented with an acute and severe respiratory illness. It is related to nipah virus, another species in the genus henipavirus.
A queensland researcher develops a rapid diagnostic test for the deadly hendra virus that she says can deliver results within 10 minutes, rather than up to 36 hours. Hendra virus infection in dog, australia, 20 volume 21. Hendra virus research giving opportunities university of. Hendra virus information for veterinarians hendra virus is a sporadic disease of horses caused by spillover of virus from flying foxes. Sep 12, 2011 culling bats isnt the way to control hendra virus september 12, 2011 12. Hendra virus information for horse owners, handlers.
Culling bats isnt the way to control hendra virus september 12, 2011 12. In early infection, the vascular lesions may include edema and hemorrhage of vessel walls, fibrinoid degeneration with pyknotic nuclei in endothelial and tunica media cells, and numerous giant cells syncytia. Only take samples if the risk of exposure to yourself and others can be adequately managed. Overview of nipah virus infection merck veterinary manual. Hendra virus is a virus that infects large fruit bats flying foxes. The virus is harboured by flying foxes fruit bats and there have been multiple outbreaks of the disease every year since 2006. Since hendra virus was identified in 1994, more than 60 horses are known to have been infected. A virus, formerly called equine morbillivirus, that can cause illness in horses and humans.
Reducing the risk of hendra virus infection business queensland. Hendra virus hev is an emerging zoonotic paramyxovirus for which natural reservoirs are the 4 species of flying fox pteropus bats found on mainland australia. Active immunization by vaccines antigencontaining preparations that elicit the synthesis of antibodies and thus immunity has been useful in preventing common epidemics caused by acutely. Hendra virus is one of a number of recently emerged. Currently, there is no cure or specific treatment for hendra virus.
On rare occasions, hendra virus can pass from flying foxes to horses, causing severe illness, usually resulting in death. Hendra virus is a large, pleomorphic enveloped rna virus. The etiologic agent, nipah virus genus henipavirus, family paramyxoviridae, is an enveloped, negativesense, singlestranded rna virus. Although initially considered to be more closely related to members of the genus morbillivirus than to other genera in the family paramyxoviridae, subsequent studies showed limited sequence homology with respiroviruses, morbilliviruses, and rubuloviruses and negligible immunologic crossreactivity with other paramyxoviruses. Abnormalities and viral rna were found in the dogs kidney, brain, lymph nodes, spleen, and liver. The virus is a lethal zoonotic agent able to cause natural disease in humans and horses and experimentally induced disease in cats, guineapigs and mice. Biosecurity queenslands guidelines for veterinarians handling potential hendra virus infection in horses 10 outline current advice on the disease in horses. The hendrasg vaccine was launched in australia for equine use and is the first bsl4 agent vaccine for public use. Hendra virus first invades the epithelial cells of the lower respiratory tract and progresses to the endothelial cells of the lungs, which allows it to reach the bloodstream. No horses or people in western australia have been diagnosed with hendra virus infection. Although this disease is uncommon, cases in horses have been reported with increasing frequency since it was first recognized in 1994.
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