Hendra virus and horse owners--risk perception and management.
Authors: Kung Nina, McLaughlin Amanda, Taylor Melanie, Moloney Barbara, Wright Therese, Field Hume
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Hendra Virus Risk Management in Australian Horse Owners Between 2011 and 2012, researchers surveyed 1,431 horse owners across Queensland and New South Wales to evaluate their understanding of Hendra virus transmission (via flying-foxes) and adoption of evidence-based risk mitigation strategies. Despite 63% having accessed official information resources, knowledge remained superficial—only 13% rated themselves as highly knowledgeable—and a troubling disconnect emerged between perceived risk and intended action: 56% believed a case could occur locally, yet merely 37% would consider Hendra virus in their differential diagnosis for an acutely ill horse. Alarmingly, only 13% stabled horses overnight despite the established protective value, whilst just 13–15% provided solid cover for feed bins and water sources; however, 24% indicated overnight stabling would be feasible but had simply not implemented it. The research revealed bidirectional misalignment in risk perception (both over- and underestimation coexisting), with considerable frustration amongst owners who viewed recommended strategies as economically prohibitive or practically incompatible with their management systems. For equine practitioners, these findings underscore the need for tailored, sector-specific communication emphasising cost-effective risk reduction measures and clarifying which interventions are genuinely protective versus unnecessarily burdensome—particularly important given that incremental, achievable changes may prove more effective than promoting compliance with perceived-as-impossible gold-standard protocols.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Horse owners show substantial knowledge gaps about Hendra virus despite information availability—consider that risk communication alone is insufficient without addressing practical barriers and perceived cost-benefit
- •Stabling and feed/water protection are underutilized even when owners find them feasible, suggesting psychological or motivational factors beyond practicality drive non-adoption of management strategies
- •Risk perception is inconsistently aligned with actual behavior; use targeted education addressing local context and industry-specific concerns rather than generic messaging
Key Findings
- •Only 13% of horse owners rated their Hendra virus knowledge as high or very high, despite 63% having seen official information materials
- •56% of respondents perceived moderate to extreme likelihood of Hendra virus in their area, but only 37% would consider it when their horse became sick
- •Only 13% of respondents stabled horses overnight and only 13-15% had feed bins and water points under solid cover, despite 24% finding stabling easy to implement
- •Significant variation in risk perception and management adoption between Queensland and New South Wales reflected different exposure history and communication effectiveness