Hendra: People Testing Negative for Virus

In the wake of a euthanized horse testing positive for the Hendra virus in Queensland, Australia, 11 people are being tested for the disease. Six had reportedly cleared the preliminary test May 21, and all are expected to test negative.

Ron Glanville, BSc, BVSc, MVS, chief veterinary officer for Biosecurity Queensland, confirmed that a horse in Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast was e

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In the wake of a euthanized horse testing positive for the Hendra virus in Queensland, Australia, 11 people are being tested for the disease. Six had reportedly cleared the preliminary test May 21, and all are expected to test negative.

Ron Glanville, BSc, BVSc, MVS, chief veterinary officer for Biosecurity Queensland, confirmed that a horse in Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast was euthanized May 17. Biosecurity Queensland was made aware of the positive results May 21. A second horse on the property tested negative on initial blood tests. Glanville said that the horse "is being monitored closely, but is not showing any signs of being unwell."

Because the Hendra virus has a high fatality rate in both horses and humans and can be passed from horses to people, the 11 potentially exposed to the horse are undergoing tests. Six had passed the first test, while the other three were awaiting results, according to the Brisbane Times.

Biosecurity Queensland and Queensland Health had officials available to provide information at a pony club show in Queensland that proceeded as scheduled over the weekend. The officials are keeping people up-to-date on the Hendra virus as well as the recent positive

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Tracy Gantz is a freelance writer based in Southern California. She is the Southern California correspondent for The Blood-Horse and a regular contributor to Paint Horse Journal, Paint Racing News, and Appaloosa Journal.

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