Hendra virus, Infections In Horses Can Be Transmitted to Humans

Hendra infection is a disease caused by Hendra virus or has been also called equini morbillivirus that causes disease in horses in Australia. But these infections can occur in humans if exposure occurs from the secretions of infected horses Hendra virus.

According to Prof. Dr. Tjandra Yoga Aditama SpP (K), MARS, DTM & H, DTCE as Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) Ministry of Health cases in horses in Australia continues occurs in sporadic, although the number of cases is not too much and infection in humans is very rare. Based on existing data on human cases of infection from the year 1996-2007 there are seven known cases of a total of 13 times outbreaks are as follows:

horseJanuary 1999 at Trinity Beach, Queensland
October 2004 in Gordonvale, Queensland
December 2004 in Townsville, Queensland
June 2006 at Peachester, Queensland
October 2006 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales
June 2006 at Peachester, Queensland
July 2007 at Clifton Beach, Queensland.

Cause
The disease is caused by the Hendra virus that is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus which has members Hendra virus and Nipah virus. Hendra virus was first isolated in September 1994 from specimens of horses and humans in Hendra, a suburb of Brisbane Australia. While the Nipah virus in Malaysia in 1999 found that cause disease in more than 100 people.

Symptom
Human cases are rare. But of the cases found the same symptoms as symptoms of severe respiratory disease. To diagnose it using the ELISA antibody test (IgG and IgM), RT-PCR and virus isolation.

Treatment
Treatment is done to address this Hendra infection is to use Ribavirin. Ribavirin has been shown to be effective drugs against the virus in vitro.

Prevention is to avoid animals that are known to have been infected with Hendra virus and use personal protective equipment that is safe when going into contact with animals suspected of being potentially infected.

Due to reports of cases in Queensland Australia, the Ministry of Health has been communicating with the World Health Organization (WHO) to observe the disease. Until now the report is only in Australia.

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