Sunshine Coast EI Meeting outcome

[Madeline]

OUTCOMES OF EI MEETING -SUNSHINE COAST


The Sunshine Coast EI Information Meeting run at Nambour Showgrounds on the 13th of October 2007 was attended by over 200 interested people from all equestrian disciplines.
Speakers were :
• Ian Douglas from Biosecurity Australia
• Peter Slipper Member for Fisher
• Fiona Simpson Member for Maroochydore
• Warren Gardiner – QHC Council
• Natalie Nichols – Crisis Manager Morgan Park
Recently appointed to the Steering Committee to develop & roll out
an Equine Influenza economic recovery plan
• Nicole Macgoffin –Fei rider recently released from Morgan Park and now recently appointed 'Industry Liaison Officers'
• Liz Buchanan - Marketing and Communications Manager
Equestrian Queensland

OUTCOMES

From what I understood and from what I have spoken to other attendees about since is the outcome of the meeting was that we need to be extremely vigilant to prevent the spread of this disease.
• A speaker raised the Human Flu example / to 'vaccination or not to vaccinate' choice and severity of the disease issue.
The girls who had been quarantined at Warwick with sick horses responded very strongly with “You do NOT want your horse to get this disease” Nicole Magoffin spoke emotionally about how this disease had robbed her of her Olympic opportunity. How sick the horses really get, they spoke of very high temperatures, horse s that ached in every muscle so much so they could hardly move and also the deep gut wrenching cough, not to forget the 4 – 5 feet of snot hanging from their noses..
This was with huge support, vets on site etc I think the average horse owner would struggle to cope at home with such sick horses.
• The Pro or anti vaccination choice was discussed and if people are pro vaccination they should register on the DPI website to be vaccinated. It was discussed that it should be the choice / right of the individual to choose.
• The movements of horses ban should apply to ALL horses of any breeding – they ALL carry it so it is extremely fool hardly to allow the movement of some which will then cause infections to those doing the right thing.
Most importantly is that this disease is not hard to kill.
250 horses left the quarantine at Warwick after 30+ days. Owners came and went yet no outside infections were recorded at the home properties.
The DPI Vet Ian Douglas explained that the virus has a fatty outer layer which is easily destroyed with 30min of sunshine or even soap and water.
So if you have a horse or come in contact with a horse you need to maintain good biosecurity.
I would recommend that you arrange a neighborhood meeting with all the horse owners. Preferably in a non horsy home or area. Use good Biosecurity in and out and discuss how you can keep this out of your area. It is no point maintaining Top Security at your front gate if it comes in over the back fence.
The slogan that Nicole and Natalie used was “Spread the word not the disease” They also had a fun ‘dressage mark’ way to explain the BioSecurity.
If you leave this meeting go home, wash your hands and feed your horse we will give you a 3, if you wash your hands and change your clothes 6 or 7. If you shower, wash your hair and totally change your Boots hats and clothes then you can have a 10. We need to aim for a 10 at all times.
Put signs on your gates to tell all visitors they cannot enter if they have had any sort of contact with a horse in the past 24hours.
We need to makes sure we stop this disease not wait for buffer zone horses to gain immunity and then to be let loose to catch this in the December / January heat to ‘clean it up’
We need to from ONE voice as the AJC has done and this is why they are being heard. Hopefully the work of the QHC will assist us with this.
Issues of Public ignorance was raised we need signage and advertising to continue to keep the public awareness up.
Our elected representatives will hopefully be able to take this message back to our government.
A Big Thank you to all Speakers and those who assisted in putting this day together