Inadequate Infection Control By Vets Widespread

University of Sydney 13 May 2013

The infection control practices of veterinarians are inadequate with almost 50 percent of vets contracting infections from animals during their career, research led by the University of Sydney has found.
“There is an urgent need for our profession to better educate vets about protecting themselves, and by extension the general public, against contracting infection from animals,” said Dr Navneet Dhand, from the University’s Faculty of Veterinary Science.

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Transport costs squeeze biosecurity

Queensland Country Life Brad COOPER 16 May, 2013

A RUDE shock might be waiting for livestock producers and vets when they try to send samples to Biosecurity Queensland’s centralised, mega-testing laboratory in Brisbane at Coopers Plains.
Award-winning Dulacca beef producer Lee McNicholl, who in another lifetime was a practising veterinarian during the height of the Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign (BTEC) is still reeling from massive cost increases in forwarding samples to the city-based facility.
Mr McNicholl used to send his samples to the government’s testing lab at Toowoomba before its closure last month. Another lab in Townsville has also closed, prompting senior pathology staff to walk out the door through offered redundancy packages.

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Vets frustrated by lack of hendra vaccination uptake

Daily Mercury (Mackay) Andrea Davy 15th May 2013

VETS in the Mackay region are becoming frustrated with horse owners who are choosing not to vaccinate their stock against the deadly hendra virus.
Despite the vaccine being the best form of prevention of the deadly disease, which has killed four people in Australia, some horse owners are still not taking advantage of the product.
There have been two confirmed cases of hendra in the Mackay area – one in June 2012, at Seaforth, and one in January this year, at Sarina.

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New advice issued on hendra virus vaccine

Queensland Times Judi Haidley 14 May 2013

HORSE owners are being urged to be aware of new advice regarding the Hendra virus vaccine.

Chief Biosecurity officer Dr Jim Thompson said data evaluated by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority showed the vaccine offered protection to horses for up to six months.

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Dosing change for Hendra vaccine

ABC News Amy McCosker May 9, 2013

Approximately 15,000 horses have been vaccinated against the deadly Hendra virus, according to the company that produces the drug, Zoetis.
Company spokesperson Dr Stephanie Armstrong says the uptake has been steady.

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Horse owners urged to prepare for Hendra season

ABC News Amy McCosker 3 May 2013

As the month of May begins, so does the high risk season for outbreaks of the Hendra virus.

In preparation, industry made a push for horse owners to vaccinate their animals throughout April.

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Bats in a feeding frenzy in Tweed Heads

My Daily News Mairi Manley 3 May 2013

TWEED Heads microbats are in a feeding frenzy as they fatten up on insects to see them through the coming winter.

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Dispersing bat colonies is now a local council problem

The Courier Mail Brian Williams May 01, 2013

THE State Government has washed its hands of troublesome bat colonies by handing over responsibility for dispersing their camps to local government.
Previously councils have had to apply for a state permit to move the creatures to ensure cruelty issues were addressed.

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Government stands firm on new bat removal rules

ABC News Eric Tlozek, Alyse Edwards and Jessica Nairn 2 May 2013

The Queensland Government has rejected a Bill that would have let landowners kill flying foxes and destroy their roosts.
Katter’s Australian Party MP Shane Knuth introduced laws to Parliament to allow culls when flying foxes were found to pose a risk to people or stock.

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Last day for Townsville biosecurity lab

ABC News Allyson Horn 26 April 2013

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) says a biosecurity lab at Townsville in north Queensland will permanently shut down today.
The Biosecurity Queensland Veterinary Diagnostic lab in Townsville will now be merged with another testing facility in Brisbane, at the direction of the Queensland Government…
services will now be provided from the state-of-the-art Coopers Plains laboratory in Brisbane, which has capacity to test all potential diseases in Queensland.

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