MULHERIN CALLS FOR VACCINATION OF QUEENSLAND PERFORMANCE HORSES
Published Saturday, 22 September, 2007 at 04:53 PM
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
The Honourable Tim Mulherin
Queensland is urging the Australian Government to escalate the equine influenza vaccination program to provide sufficient vaccine for horses in buffer zones around infected areas and for the Queensland performance horse industry.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said today he was concerned by the news this morning confirming equine influenza at the Warwick Farm thoroughbred stables in New South Wales.
Mr Mulherin today wrote to Federal Minister for Agriculture, Peter McGauran pointing out that, in contrast to NSW, there has been no equine influenza confirmed in the Queensland thoroughbred racing industry and “it is vitally important that this remains the case.”
“At this point in Queensland, Equine Influenza has been largely confined to five clusters in Warwick, Rosewood-Minden, Tamborine, the western suburbs of Brisbane and Goondiwindi,” Mr Mulherin said.
“An aggressive vaccination policy is now needed to contain the further spread of disease in the known clusters and to prevent its spread into the racing industry, which would be devastating to the Queensland industry coming off the back of losses already incurred since the Equine Influenza outbreak a month ago.
“I am, therefore, calling on the Australian Government to escalate the vaccination program so that sufficient vaccine is available to vaccinate horses in buffer zones around current clusters and to undertake targeted vaccination within the Queensland performance horse industry.”
Mr Mulherin warned that any delay in the vaccination program would place the future of the Queensland industry at grave risk.
In addition to the racing industry, consideration should be given to the need for vaccination of brood mares, horses in spelling complexes, breeding, performance horses and other key sections of the Queensland horse industry.
Mr Mulherin said it was important to prioritise the use of vaccine to those areas which are more likely to achieve the containment/eradication objective of the current response.
Acknowledging Mr McGauran’s comments in the media about supporting vaccination in the New South Wales and Victorian racing industries, Mr Mulherin said if this was to be the overall strategy, then Queensland should be given priority given the current absence of the disease in the racing population and proximity to infected areas.
Mr Mulherin said the Queensland Government supported a targeted vaccination program and said he had asked his Director-General to raise the issue at the next meeting of the National Management Group.
“I have now spoken to as well as written to Mr McGauran and also have spoken
NSW Minister Ian Macdonald and there will be a national phone hook-up of Ministers tomorrow night following a meeting of the NMG.
“Queensland remains committed to the containment and eradication of Equine Influenza in this state,” Mr Mulherin said.
Media: David Potter 0409 305 662
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said today he was concerned by the news this morning confirming equine influenza at the Warwick Farm thoroughbred stables in New South Wales.
Mr Mulherin today wrote to Federal Minister for Agriculture, Peter McGauran pointing out that, in contrast to NSW, there has been no equine influenza confirmed in the Queensland thoroughbred racing industry and “it is vitally important that this remains the case.”
“At this point in Queensland, Equine Influenza has been largely confined to five clusters in Warwick, Rosewood-Minden, Tamborine, the western suburbs of Brisbane and Goondiwindi,” Mr Mulherin said.
“An aggressive vaccination policy is now needed to contain the further spread of disease in the known clusters and to prevent its spread into the racing industry, which would be devastating to the Queensland industry coming off the back of losses already incurred since the Equine Influenza outbreak a month ago.
“I am, therefore, calling on the Australian Government to escalate the vaccination program so that sufficient vaccine is available to vaccinate horses in buffer zones around current clusters and to undertake targeted vaccination within the Queensland performance horse industry.”
Mr Mulherin warned that any delay in the vaccination program would place the future of the Queensland industry at grave risk.
In addition to the racing industry, consideration should be given to the need for vaccination of brood mares, horses in spelling complexes, breeding, performance horses and other key sections of the Queensland horse industry.
Mr Mulherin said it was important to prioritise the use of vaccine to those areas which are more likely to achieve the containment/eradication objective of the current response.
Acknowledging Mr McGauran’s comments in the media about supporting vaccination in the New South Wales and Victorian racing industries, Mr Mulherin said if this was to be the overall strategy, then Queensland should be given priority given the current absence of the disease in the racing population and proximity to infected areas.
Mr Mulherin said the Queensland Government supported a targeted vaccination program and said he had asked his Director-General to raise the issue at the next meeting of the National Management Group.
“I have now spoken to as well as written to Mr McGauran and also have spoken
NSW Minister Ian Macdonald and there will be a national phone hook-up of Ministers tomorrow night following a meeting of the NMG.
“Queensland remains committed to the containment and eradication of Equine Influenza in this state,” Mr Mulherin said.
Media: David Potter 0409 305 662