Results from a horse owner survey in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, show that while most perceive hendra virus as a risk, many are not taking precautions to protect themselves or their horses from potentially deadly infection.

Biosecurity Queensland’s Chief Veterinary Officer Rick Symons, BVSc, MBA, PhD, said the survey, conducted in early 2012, assessed how well horse owners understood hendra virus and to what level they had put in place practices to minimize the risk of infection.

"The survey was undertaken soon after the unprecedented 18 hendra virus incidents in 2011, which occurred across Queensland and New South Wales and prior to the vaccine for horses being introduced," Symons said. "The survey is the first of its kind in terms of scope and scale and aimed to provide a unique insight into the human side of hendra virus risk management."

Symons said a total of 1,850 people participated in the survey