By Mandy Cottell
September 04, 2007 06:57pm

THE equine influenza (EI) crisis deepened today with fears the virus had spread to Albury, just kilometres from the Victorian border.

Although EI is rife in Queensland and New South Wales, it has not yet spread to Victoria, where it could threaten the Spring Carnival featuring prestige races like the Cox Plate and Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Albury trainer Brett Cavanough found around eight of his team of 83 horses with elevated temperatures this morning but that number had almost doubled by the afternoon.

Swabs on the sick horses have been sent for testing, with the results expected tomorrow.

Racing industry officials are hoping the news is good but chief steward Ray Murrihy admitted he was deeply concerned.

"We've gone backwards about 500 yards today," Murrihy said.

"There is a bit of a problem down at Albury. Brett Cavanough has got multiple horses with elevated temperatures and samples are on their way to the laboratory but you would have to have concerns obviously, due to the number of horses."

Full article at http://www.news.com.au/story/0,2359...5-29277,00.html

The chances of Vic. [any state for that matter] escaping this flu. is becoming remote. Horse owners are moving horses, laws or no laws. My original thread titled 'No racing for up to 5mths' [probably more like 3mths. but 'up to' 5mths. if we stuff around too long trying to avoid a national close down] was prematurely removed I think :-))

The swabs from Albury have apparently come back all clear.

Every horse that has an elevated temp is now suspected of having EI. There was a 'scare' in Tassie yesterday, fcs.

It would be great to see see Vic. remain free of the Flu for 3 mths., but horse Flu is just like human flu and is spread just the same way. To hope that we could stop either type 'at the border' will probably prove to be wishful thinking. I too though am wishing :-))

While they've done the right thing so far, they've been criticised by many for overkill. In my opinion it's underkill. They should bite the bullet and have a national lockdown until we are flu free.

What's the point in having half the horses right on Cup Day, half fit neddies running around during the week. An elevated temperature does not necessarily mean EI, but what they seem to forget is, that it makes the horse more vulnerable to contracting it.

We still have people travelling interstate etc. So just when Sydney get right, it's sure to travel to Melbourne and we start all over again.

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