Report On Hendra Whipped As 'waste'
Sun Herald
Sunday December 7, 2008
HENDRA-AFFECTED horse owners are fuming over the State Government's investigation into the virus outbreak, and say a report into the June incident, released last week, is a "waste of taxpayers' money".
Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin has made public the Hendra review by veterinary epidemiologist Nigel Perkins. The investigation into two incidents at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic on Brisbane's bayside and at Proserpine in north Queensland, cleared biosecurity authorities of any mishandling and concluded actions by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries were "rapid and effective" and its response was "successful".Dr Perkins said it was "not unreasonable to think we'll get more cases in 2009 but hopefully the report will help owners, vets and the department contain its spread".A spokeswoman for horse owners affected by the Redlands outbreak, Cindy Medway, said the group would lodge complaints to the department's director-general Rob Setter, saying the report ignored key evidence given by owners of infected horses. "The entire report is, as was predicted ... a waste of taxpayers' money," she said. "Nigel Perkins should be ashamed to put his name to it."The owners believe their horses died from the virus but aspects of the outbreak may have been covered up.Dr Perkins said the three deaths "could have been [from] Hendra virus" but they may also have been from a pre-existing illness.Kelvin Smith, whose horse Loddy was one of three that died at Redlands after the outbreak, said he had told Dr Perkins a blood test the day before Loddy died showed "clinical signs and history" consistent with Hendra virus, not with his pre-existing illness. "I was so angry when I saw the report said Loddy could have died from his pre-existing illness ... I rang him and let him have it," Mr Smith said.Dr Perkins defended the review and denied its terms of reference had been too limited. "Where issues were raised and were considered to be not related to the terms of reference, they were not generally included in the review," he said. The report recommended improved communications between the department and vets and stricter hygiene procedures.
© 2008 Sun Herald
