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BRISBANE - Almost half of the horses quarantined at a Queensland equestrian venue are now showing symptoms of horse flu.
Around 250 horses have been stuck at Warwick's Morgan Park, south-west of Brisbane, since a quarantine lockdown was imposed at the site on Sunday.
Around 100 horse owners and helpers who have stayed behind to care for the animals are facing a long wait at the venue - the flu must infect all of the horses at the site before the 30-day quarantine period can officially begin.
Three of the 250 horses have tested positive to the flu in preliminary tests.
Equestrian Federation of Australia vet Julian Willmore today said vets had worked into the night assessing animals at the site, where the number of horses showing signs of the illness continued to climb.
"Last count last night we were up to 118 horses showing clinical signs - 50 per cent of the total number there now," he told ABC radio.
However, Dr Willmore said no horses were dangerously ill.
Blood samples from sick horses at Morgan Park equestrian centre are expected to today formally confirm the highly contagious virus is responsible for the horses' high temperatures and coughing.
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) animal biosecurity science manager Ian Douglas said he was hopeful of containing the outbreak to the state's south-east.
Three south-east Queensland areas have so far been affected - Warwick, Minden and Rosewood.
Dr Douglas said there was no evidence the disease had spread since the ban on horse movement was imposed, but said it was likely the number of horses with the flu at Warwick would continue to rise.
"I would probably expect all of those horses would show signs within the next few days," Dr Douglas said.
"This virus is very, very contagious and spreads quite rapidly in horses that are in relatively close contact."
The Queensland government yesterday promised to provide $20,000 to horse owners stranded in Warwick to help cover costs such as vet bills.
Warwick mayor Ron Bellingham has invoked the council's emergency management plan, as well as launching a support appeal for those stranded.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin today defended the government's handling of the horse flu outbreak, dismissing the state opposition's claims that DPI staff cutbacks had slowed its reaction at Warwick.
"I'm more than happy with the way that we are dealing with the issue," Mr Mulherin said.
NSW Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald has renewed his call for a public inquiry into how equine influenza (EI) reached Australia, to try to prevent other diseases breaching the country's biosecurity.
The EI outbreak, which first appeared at Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine centre, has shut down Australia's multi-billion dollar horse industry, with a nationwide standstill enforced after infected horses were found in Sydney.
It now appears to have been contained to NSW and Queensland.
Mr MacDonald said he believed EI had breached Australia's biosecurity barriers, and it was important that that never happened again.
"It's important we find how this breach occurred, how our biosecurity framework in Australia and NSW was breached so badly, because we could have other diseases that could get in here that have massive consequences upon our population and our agricultural industries," he told the Nine Network today.
"We should investigate that in a full public inquiry and get to the bottom of it because we should see this in a way as making sure we can shore up our biosecurity framework for the future and keep those barriers tight."
The standstill will be lifted in all other states and territories on Friday and racing is scheduled to resume in every state except NSW and Queensland this weekend.
Mr Macdonald said he believed authorities had a handle on the outbreak in NSW.
"We're now up to 73 properties that either have it, or are suspected to have it," he said.
"We believe we're gradually containing it and once we've contain it we can look at how we can assist racing clubs get back to business."
- AAP
