Fed: Randwick horse results known by end of day - McGauran

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2007
Fed: Randwick horse results known by end of day - McGauran

CANBERRA, Aug 27 AAP - Authorities should know by the end of today if three horses
at Randwick racetrack in Sydney have equine influenza (EI), federal Agriculture Minister
Peter McGauran says.

There are now seven locations across regional NSW and southern Queensland, as well
as Centennial Park in Sydney, where there are confirmed or suspected cases of EI, Mr McGauran
said.

Mr McGauran said Randwick was not yet confirmed as affected by the epidemic, which
has shut down all horse movements in the country.

"There were precautionary measures imposed today to finish trackwork prematurely and
there are tests on three horses awaiting results," he told ABC radio.

Mr McGauran said there had been no conclusion as to the source of the flu outbreak,
and he cautioned people to wait until forensic scientists working on the case had completed
their work.

"It is inconclusive what is the source and the location of the outbreak," he said.

"We have a forensic epidemiologist working on the issue because we must identify the
strain of horses in the quarantine centre that are affected, five of them, and the horses
outside, especially at Centennial Park."

He said no breach of the strict standard operating quarantine procedures had been detected.

"For instances, all horses come in one batch and in between batches, there's a wash-down
and a disinfection for two days," he said.

"Anybody entering the premises, especially, say, a vet, wears coats and gumboots provided
by us which are then burnt. They have to shower on their exit and they have to disinfect
their equipment.

"Moreover, we can find no link between anybody who has been to Eastern Creek (quarantine
centre) and Centennial Park that poses a danger."

Mr McGauran said no liability had been established and he cautioned against anybody
jumping to conclusions.

"Let the scientists do their job," he said.

"Bear in mind, no horse has been released from the quarantine centre that has horse
flu. They've all been locked away since early August."

Mr McGauran said he expected the lock-down to continue until at least the end of the week.

AAP dep/sb/sp

KEYWORD: STALLIONS MCGAURAN LEAD

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