Hong Kong to Accept Horses Vaccinated Against Hendra
Equestrian Australia (EA) announced Aug. 13 that the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) Animal Biosecurity Branch has informed the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (DAFF) that the AFCD will accept horses vaccinated against hendra virus, according to manufacturer recommendations.
Shipping agents must submit an application for a dispensation to the AFCD via DAFF, a statement on EA’s website indicated.
The deadly hendra virus has been known to yield numerous clinical signs in horses including respiratory distress, frothy nasal discharge, elevated body temperature (above 40°C, or 104°F), and elevated heart rate; however, authorities caution that hendra infection does not have specific signs. The virus is transmitted to horses from the flying fox, a type of Australian fruit bat.
Hendra virus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from horses to humans; several humans that contracted the virus from horses have died since hendra was discovered in 1994. The disease has never been diagnosed outside of Australia
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