No bats to be found

HIGHBORNE Farm owner Cameron Osbourne says he was mystified by the lyssavirus outbreak.
“We’ve scoured the property from one end to the other and found no bats,” he told ABC radio.
“So it is suggested, of course, given we’re dealing with a bat virus that that’s probably the cause, but we’ve certainly got no evidence of that on the property.
“We were mystified because this is a professional horse business where we take biosecurity very seriously and we’ve done all that we possibly could to avoid any mishap with our horses.”
Mr Osbourne says the vet that euthanased the two horses took all necessary precautions, but it was too late to test whether the first horse had the virus.
“We have been offered and taken up the offer of vaccination for rabies virus which is somewhat akin to lyssavirus and we’ve been reassured, and I’m very happy to take that reassurance, that that treatment will protect us completely,” he said.
Biosecurity officers were on the farm assessing the remaining 20 horses.
The six people who came into contact with the sick horses have been given preventative treatment.
Only three human cases of lyssavirus have been confirmed in Australia – all in Queensland – and all three people have died.