Pferdegrippe in Australien
Verfasst: Sa, 25. Aug 2007 12:07
(von www.aol.de)Pferderennen in ganz Australien wegen Pferdegrippe abgesagt
Sydney - In Australien sind am Samstag sämtliche Pferderennen abgesagt worden, nachdem mehrere Fälle von Pferdegrippe entdeckt worden waren. Landwirtschaftsminister Peter McGuaran teilte mit, das Verbot gelte zunächst für 72 Stunden. "Unsere oberste Priorität muss sein, dass die Krankheit sich nicht ausbreitet", sagte der Minister. Die Maßnahme folgte nach der Erkrankung von 16 Pferden in zwei Reitställen von Sydney. Eine der Anlagen liegt direkt neben einer großen Pferderennbahn. "Wenn die Krankheit auf andere Tiere übergreift, könnte das katastrophale Folgen haben", warnte McGuaran. In der australischen Rennbranche werden jährlich Milliarden umgesetzt.
(AFP)
und auf Englisch noch etwas ausfuehrlicher:
.................. Das ist grade bei uns um die Ecke los, und wird immer aufregender und auch angsterregend. Da NZ und Australien Inselstaaten sind, sind wir (bis jetzt) von vielen solchen Pferdekrankheiten nicht betroffen, und haben auch entsprechend harte Quarantaene-Vorschriften, aber anscheinend war das jetzt nicht genug. Es wird vermutet, das die Pferdegrippe aus Japan nach Australien kam, denn dort sind vor kurzem ein paar Faelle gemeldet worden, und kurz zuvor ist eine Ladung Pferde von Japan nach Australien gereist. Da es die Pferdegrippe in AU und NZ noch nie gab, sind unsere Pferde nicht dagegen geimpft, und falls es nicht rechtzeitig isoliert werden kann, koennte sich das Ganze wie ein Lauffeuer verbreiten - nicht auszudenken! Wir hoffen dringenst, dass es nicht in NZ gelandet ist, und natuerlich auch, dass die Australier die PG so schnell wie moeglich isolieren koennen.SYDNEY, Australia: Horseracing was shut down across the Australian mainland Saturday as racing and veterinary officials rushed to stem an outbreak of equine influenza imperiling the nation's multibillion dollar racing industry.
The moves followed the discovery of the highly contagious equine virus in 11 non-racehorses at the Centennial Park complex adjoining Sydney's Royal Randwick racecourse. Five horses at a second Sydney facility also showed symptoms of the disease.
Races were canceled as agriculture officials expanded to 10 kilometers (6 miles) an exclusion zone around the Centennial Park stables and banned all movement of horses within New South Wales state.
Agricultural Minister Peter McGauran said the equine flu outbreak was the biggest risk ever faced by the Australian thoroughbred industry.
"We've never had an introduction of influenza in the equine population of Australia ever before ... If it was to escape beyond the stable of the horses in Centennial Park, it would have a devastating effect on the horse population," McGauran told Sky News.
Racing officials in Queensland state later canceled seven thoroughbred and two standardbred meetings across the state over the weekend in response to the escalating crisis. Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia states also canceled racing Saturday, though scheduled events were expected to continue on the island of Tasmania.
Victorian racing officials also banned movements of racehorses within the state "until further notice".
"Equine influenza is not a fatal disease, on average affected horses recover within ten to fourteen days but it would have a disastrous impact on horse racing and breeding industries," Racing Victoria chief executive Stephen Allanson said.
"We will continue to assess the situation over the next 72 hours."
Equine influenza was first detected Thursday at separate facilities in New South Wales and Victoria, where some of the world's most valuable thoroughbred stallions had been imported from Britain for the Australian breeding season.
The imported stallions were to serve some 30,000 mares during the course of the season, and their unavailability — coupled with the cancellation of race meetings — was forecast to cost the racing industry billions of dollars.
Most of the impounded horses are thoroughbred stallions with an estimated collective value of more than 500 million Australian dollars (US$400 million, €295 million).
Among those quarantined were top sires Encosta De Lago, Rock Of Gibraltar, Choisir, Danehill Dancer and Holy Roman Emperor.
McGauran said chief veterinary officers from every state and territory would meet later Saturday to decide how to respond to the outbreak.
New Zealand officials Saturday banned all imports of horses from Australia and locked down the quarantine facility at Karaka, near Auckland. All horses that arrived in New Zealand from Australia since Aug. 1 were to be tracked and blood-tested.
Equine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease that knocks any horse out of action for two to three weeks with a fever, hacking cough, nasal discharge and tiredness. It can be fatal in foals and virtually all horses exposed to the virus become sickened, making it particularly dangerous — and costly — for the racing community.
The disease does not affect humans.
In 1986, an outbreak in South Africa forced that nation's racing industry to close down for five months.
Last weekend, officials in Japan shut down racing in that nation because of equine flu.
*einoffiziellesforumsdaumendrueckenbeantrage*
LG Angenita