Queensland vet Alister Rodgers dies from Hendra virus

[theunraveler]

QUEENSLAND veterinary surgeon Alister Rodgers has died after contracting Hendra virus from the blood of an infected horse.
A Princess Alexandra Hospital spokeswoman confirmed the death this morning but said no other details would be released at the request of Dr Rodgers’ family.

Dr Rodgers has been critically ill in a coma for the past two weeks, since being exposed to the blood of a horse infected with Hendra virus that died at a Central Queensland stud on July 28.

Dr Rodgers was exposed after treating sick horses at J4S Equine Nursery, at Cawarral near Rockhampton. The stud will remain in quarantine until the end of September.

He along with three other stud workers _ Debbie Brown, 46, Adrian Daniel, 49, and Angela Webber, 24 _ was treated with anti-viral medication in Rockhampton Hospital but was later transferred to Brisbanes Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The stud workers, and stud owner John Brady, were also later flown to Brisbane for observation but none have so far fallen ill.

The four had returned home clear of the disease by Monday.

Staff at the Rockhampton Veterinary Clinic, where Dr Rodgers worked, did not wish to comment this morning until they had spoken with Dr Rodgers' wife, Linda.

Mr Brady was also not available for comment this morning.

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[theunraveler]

Hendra virus has now killed four of the seven people known to have contracted the infection in Queensland.

It is a rare virus believed to spread from bats to horses and then to humans. The first known outbreak occurred in 1994 at a property in Hendra, on Brisbane's northside, and it has only ever spread to people in Queensland.

Initial symptoms include an influenza-like illness, fever and headache.

These can progress to pneumonia, convulsions and coma.

Queensland Health says all seven cases involved people who were in close contact with tissues and secretions from infected or dead horses.

Authorities are still trying to find out more about the rare virus, but it is believed horses become infected by eating food contaminated by bat urine or birthing material.

Most horses that contract the virus soon die after developing an acute respiratory or neurological syndrome.

Biosecurity agencies have a policy of destroying any horse with a confirmed infection due to the risk horses that recover may still shed the virus to humans in the future.

Health workers are still establishing the best way to treat people infected with the virus, trialling the use of intravenous antiviral drugs on those suspected of being infected.

There is no vaccine for the virus and its incubation period in humans is estimated as being between five and 16 days.

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[Hollycozza]

So very sad and also really scary, I have a few good friends working with horses in Queensland.....

 

[No Imagination]

thanks for this info

 

[theunraveler]

So very sad and also really scary, I have a few good friends working with horses in Queensland.....

Are they insured?