The Hendra Virus Part 2
Oct13Written by:
13/10/2011 3:33 PM 
In May, at the Australian Veterinary Association national conference in Adelaide, an announcement was made that great strides have been made in the development of a vaccine against the potentially fatal Hendra virus. As it is in the development stage, it looks like trials will start in 2012 to find out how long the immunity to the disease will last, and also how much of the vaccine is needed to provide protection. 2013 will hopefully see the launch of a “sub-unit” vaccine that will not only provide protection, but also reduce shedding (ie. passing on) of the infective virus. For the technically-minded, the vaccine will produce antibodies against glycoprotein G, which means it will be a very safe vaccine with no possibility of viral reversion.
In the meantime, prevention involves reducing exposure to the virus:
- Horse feed bins and water troughs should be placed away from trees and covered when not in use
- If practical, remove horses from paddocks with Flying Foxes
- Avoid planting stone fruit trees and other trees that attract Flying Foxes
- Practice good hygiene around horses
- If at all concerned, call us – as this is an emerging disease, information is being updated all the time.