Cawarral quarantine may be lifted soon

A central Queensland property at the centre of a Hendra virus outbreak that caused
the death of a vet is expected to have quarantine measures lifted by early October.

The J4S horse stud at Cawarral, northeast of Rockhampton, was quarantined last month
after several horses tested positive to the virus.
Rockhampton vet Dr Alister Rodgers died from the virus after treating infected
horses on the property.
So far, no one else who came into close contact with the infected horses has tested
positive.
Authorities were confident the outbreak was under control, Biosecurity Queensland
deputy chief veterinarian Dr Rick Symons told reporters on Friday.
He said several properties with horses that had been at the stud during the time of
the outbreak were no longer under quarantine.
"Eleven of the dangerous contact premises have been released from quarantine now,
with the testing of the horses complete - all are healthy," Dr Symons said.
"There are five others waiting upon tests and we'll do final testing for the
infected premises and its neighbour around September 25.
"We are getting no more positive cases. We're confident we have that well under
control and will eventually get rid of the quarantines in early October."
Three north Queensland properties are under quarantine following a second outbreak
of the deadly virus at a neighbouring property.
All three horses that were on the hobby farm outside Bowen are now dead. The hobby
farm is no longer under quarantine.
Biosecurity Queensland officials have taken samples from 18 horses on surrounding
properties and expect results to be known by Monday.
Queensland Health is also monitoring eight people who had contact with the initial
quarantined property, including the vet who treated two of the horses.
Baseline test results have returned negative, but Queensland Health says this does
not clear them of the virus, and follow-up testing is planned at three and six weeks
after the last exposure.
Meanwhile, horse owners are calling for special exemptions to allow them to clear
native trees from their properties to prevent the spread of the bat-borne virus.
Queensland Horse Council (QHC) president Debbie Dekker said removing bats - which
are known to carry the virus - was not an option. However, removing the trees and
plants they feed off at night from stabling areas was a viable alternative, she
said.
She said the QHC will next week make a submission to the state government requesting
property owners be allowed to clear flowering trees and plants around night holding
paddocks.
"The problem is flowering or fruiting trees," Ms Dekker said.
Among the native species of plants and trees that bats are attracted to are gums,
melaleuca and bottlebrush.
Ms Dekker said removing bats' food sources from night stabling paddocks would help
prevent their body fluids from contaminating horse feed.