Dog owners told not to worry about Hendra virus

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 26 2011

After the Hendra virus outbreak among horses in Queensland, there are new worries that it may have jumped to a dog, the first such infection outside a laboratory. But Queensland authorities have moved to allay any fears of a widespread outbreak among dogs.

The male Kelpie tested positive to the virus on Monday. It has been quarantined and will be put down under strict national Hendra guidelines. The officials say they're confident the Kelpie was infected by Hendra-infected horses that died in recent weeks on the same Mount Alford property, 100km southwest of Brisbane.

According to Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young, scientists had been studying bat-dog relationships for years. She assured that it was highly unlikely a dog would contract Hendra from bats, which carry the virus and can pass it to horses, and in rare cases to humans. She said, “We are fairly confident this dog obtained the virus from an infected horse. There were three infected horses on the property involved and we really think this where the dog contracted the virus… The advice is very clear that we do need to keep dogs, cats and other animals away from sick horses.”

Dr Young said dogs had been heavily exposed to bats for years and there was no evidence to suggest they would contract Hendra directly from flying foxes. Authorities believe horses contract Hendra when they come into contact with bat urine, saliva or birth products. It can be spread to humans via respiratory secretions and/or blood from an infected horse. “We know dogs eat anything and everything and they have been doing that for many, many years and we have not seen Hendra virus in dogs,” she said.

Dr Young said the Kelpie was currently well and had developed antibodies but the risk Hendra could flare in the animal again was too great. “The virus can comeback and can be reactivated,” she said. To date, seven people have contracted Hendra, including four who died. One of the deaths came 13 months after infection.