Horse owners awaiting HeV test results
If your veterinarian wants to make sure your horse doesn’t have Hendra virus (HeV), they will take samples to send for testing.
The test results are usually available 2 to 3 days after the laboratory receives the samples.
Horse owners should minimise their risks while waiting and be aware of potential quarantine requirements.
Reduce your risk
HeV has not proven to be highly contagious; however, humans have been infected with the virus. Dealing with HeV involves carefully managing public health, and workplace health and safety issues.
Follow these important steps while waiting for test results:
- Avoid close contact with the horse under investigation, and other horses that have been in contact with it.
- Isolate the horse that is under investigation from other animals, if safe to do so. Ideally, leave the suspect horse where it is and relocate other animals.
- If you must have close contact with a horse under investigation, take these precautions:
- cover cuts and abrasions with a water-resistant dressing
- use personal protective equipment (PPE) overalls, rubber boots, and disposable gloves to protect your skin
- wear a P2 mask (particulate respirator) and safety glasses to protect your face from potential contact with the horse’s body fluids, such as blood, saliva, urine, or nasal secretions
- remove and dispose of PPE carefully, making sure you do not contaminate yourself
- practise good hand hygiene.
- If you need to provide feed and water for horses, do so from a distance.
- Observe the horses and notify your veterinarian immediately of any changes in their health status.
Your veterinarian can help you obtain, put on, remove, and dispose of PPE. It is important to fit P2 masks correctly so that they are effective.
Voluntary movement restrictions
Voluntary movement restrictions
While waiting for laboratory results, you will be asked to help manage risks of the immediate situation. This includes voluntarily stopping movement of:
- horses on and off the property
- horse products (manure) and equipment (tack, dental equipment) off the property
- visiting horse practitioners (such as farriers) onto the property – they should be rescheduled to a later time.
Where these movements cannot be totally stopped, contact us for help and further advice.
Test results
If the test result is negative, it means that HeV was not detected in the sample. Your veterinarian may wish to take further samples to investigate your horse’s illness.
You should continue to monitor your horses and notify your veterinarian immediately of any changes in their health status.
If the test result is positive, the Biosecurity division will work with you and your veterinarian to manage the situation.
The national policy requires horses to be humanely destroyed if they are confirmed to have HeV via laboratory testing. This prevents the possibility of infecting humans and other animals.
Quarantine procedures
Quarantine procedures
The property where a horse with a positive HeV result is located will be placed under quarantine by the Biosecurity division. The following procedures are likely to occur:
- all horses on the property will be monitored and tested for HeV
- any horses that have moved off the property in the last few weeks will be traced and tested for HeV
- other animals on the property may be tested for HeV, including pets
- neighbouring properties that have horses may need to undergo HeV testing and monitoring, and follow movement restrictions, depending on the assessed level of risk.
It is the horse owner’s responsibility to meet general husbandry needs of their horses during the quarantine, including non-HeV illnesses or injuries.
Once there is substantial evidence that no other animals have been infected with HeV, the quarantine on your property will be lifted.
Human exposure to HeV
Whenever HeV is confirmed or suspected, and there is a risk of human exposure to the virus, the Biosecurity division will contact SA Health's Communicable Disease Control Branch.
SA Health will work with the people involved to decide if anyone requires monitoring or medical assistance.
People concerned about exposure to HeV should seek medical advice and contact either:
- their local general practitioner
- the SA Health Communicable Disease Control Branch: 1300 232 272 (24 hours, 7 days).
Information on this page has been sourced with permission from the Queensland Government Hendra virus information for veterinarians.