Saturday, May 29, 2010

Qld to stockpile Hendra virus treatment

PETRINA BERRY

May 30, 2010 - 10:09AM

AAP

Health authorities are negotiating to have stockpiles of an experimental Hendra virus antiserum available in Queensland as soon as possible.

Queensland Health is negotiating with a US medical research facility for the intellectual rights to fast-track production of the potentially lifesaving antiserum.

Trials on ferrets have proven successful but it's not yet proven in humans.

Rebecca Day and her daughter Mollie, 12, on Thursday took their first infusion of the experimental treatment, developed in the US and Australia, after Mollie's horse Cash was put down with the virus at their Tewantin property on May 17.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman told AAP they were still doing well after being discharged from hospital on Saturday morning.

She said Queensland Health were hoping to get stockpiles of the antiserum in case more Hendra cases occurred throughout the year.

"We're hoping to get a stockpile as soon as possible," she said.

The majority of Hendra outbreaks since the first known case in 1994 have occurred during June, July and August.

Four out of the seven people to contract the virus have died.

Ms Day and her daughter will be monitored by their local Sunshine Coast hospital.

Another 10 people who came into contact with Mollie's infected horse are not considered at high risk but will continue to undergo tests over 42 days.

Bats, the natural host of Hendra, are believed to transmit the virus to horses through bodily secretions.

There have only been horse to human transmissions - no human to human transmissions or bat to human transmissions of Hendra.

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