There now are 1,311 equine influenza-infected horses on 146 confirmed properties in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, according to NSW Department of Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald on Sept. 5. There are 3,376 horses suspected of having influenza on 405 other properties.

In a scary turn for the country’s large Thoroughbred breeding industry, Macdonald said equine influenza has hit Hunter Valley Thoroughbred breeding farms. Good news came when Aubury, Warwick Farm and Rosehill were cleared when horses there tested negative for flu. Those horses will continue to be monitored.

“This is bad news for horse breeders–a Murrurundi horse breeding facility and another near Scone are in lockdown after horses there tested positive for equine influenza,” Macdonald said. “The NSW Department of Primary Industries has confirmed these are the first Thoroughbred breeding facilities in NSW where horse flu has been detected. Obviously, both properties are now declared infected, and strict quarantine is in place to stop the further spread of the disease.

“NSW DPI tracing and surveillance teams are now working to identify how the disease made its way on to the properties,” added Macdonald. “We need to establish a link to a known infected property so we understand how this infection occurred