Hendra (equine morbillivirus).
Authors: Barclay A J, Paton D J
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Hendra Virus: Emerging Equine Threat and Zoonotic Risk Since its emergence in Australia in 1994–95, Hendra virus has established itself as a novel paramyxovirus with significant implications for equine and human health, with fruit bats identified as the natural reservoir species. Three separate equine outbreaks over five years appear to stem from direct contact with infected bats, though the virus does not appear to establish chronic subclinical infection in the equine population. Clinical disease in affected horses manifests as severe and often fatal respiratory compromise, marked by dyspnoea, vascular endothelial injury and pulmonary oedema, alongside potential neurological signs; experimental infection of cats and guinea pigs confirms the virus's capacity to cause fatal pneumonia across species. Although horse-to-horse and horse-to-human transmission has occurred, both routes require exceptionally close contact—three confirmed human infections have been documented, resulting in two deaths from respiratory failure and delayed encephalitis respectively. For equine practitioners, heightened vigilance regarding biosecurity protocols is essential when handling acutely respiratory cases in endemic regions, with particular attention to sample collection procedures, given the virus's zoonotic potential and the requirement for specialized diagnostic measures to identify infection safely.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Maintain strict biosecurity protocols when handling horses with unexplained severe respiratory disease or neurological signs, especially in Australia, as Hendra transmission to humans can occur with close contact
- •Exercise extreme caution when collecting diagnostic samples from suspected Hendra cases due to high zoonotic risk and potential for human infection
- •Be alert to bat exposure as a potential epidemiological link in cases of severe respiratory disease in horses, particularly in regions where fruit bats are present
Key Findings
- •Hendra virus is endemic in certain Australian fruit bat species and has caused three separate equine incidents since 1994/5
- •Infected horses develop severe respiratory disease characterized by dyspnoea, vascular endothelial damage, and pulmonary oedema, often fatal
- •Three human cases have been documented in association with equine cases, with two fatalities from respiratory failure and delayed-onset encephalitis
- •Transmission from horses to other horses or humans requires very close contact; no evidence of widespread subclinical infection in horses