A deceased horse on a property in the Townsville area of Queensland, Australia, has returned a positive test result for hendra virus infection. Queensland Chief Veterinary Officer Rick Symons, BVSc, MBA, PhD, said the horse showed rapid onset of illness: "The horse died on Tuesday (Jan. 3) and the positive result for the virus came back late last night (Jan. 4).

"The veterinarian who attended the horse used the proper precautions including the use of personal protective equipment," Symons continued. "Biosecurity Queensland is in the process of quarantining this property and will test and monitor the other five horses at this location over the next month."

Symons said although hendra virus cases in the middle of summer (North American winters coincide with Australian summers) are unusual, they’re not unheard of.

"There was a previous case in the Townsville area in December 2004," he said. "Even though the majority of cases tend to occur in the July to September period, we have consistently said that hendra virus infection can occur throughout the year