• EI is a highly contagious viral disease which spreads rapidly through horse populations.
• Horse will show flu like symptoms high fever, nasal discharge, a persistent hacking cough, and can be depressed and off their feed BUT these clinical symptoms may be mild.
• Infected horses excrete huge quantities if the EI virus when they cough or sneeze.
• Human are not susceptible to EI.
• Transmission primarily occurs between coughing horses via the respiratory route.
• By humans, vehicles, equipment.
• Aerial spread of at least 50 meters and perhaps several kilometres.
• EI can be passed on by humans and service providers should decontaminate themselves before leaving that premises and moving on to the next. There is an absolute necessity for high level personal quarantine as EI can be carried on skin, clothing, footwear and gear.
• Don’t touch any horse that you are not there to deliver service to.
• Keep a detailed log of dates, time, addresses, horses details and owners details of all properties you visit and lessons you undertake.
• Where possible avoid group lessons.
1. If possible leave your vehicle at the front gate, if this is not possible park your vehicle well away from the usual place of stable employees. EI can be carried from place to place on dirty footwear.
2. Disinfect your footwear upon entering the property.
3. Wear clean change of clothes at each new property e.g. light cotton overalls over normal clothes.
4. Wash hands prior to commencing work.
1. Try and limit contact with the horse and rider as much as possible.
2. In the event of any horse showing signs of ill health, call veterinarian immediately.
1. Wash down your equipment to remove any dirt, manure, body fluids (helmets, gloves, whips and spurs etc.) if you have had contact with the horse or rider.
2. Disinfect all equipment used (helmets, gloves, whips and spurs etc.)
3. If you have come in contact with the horse remove clothing leaving them inside out and place in a garbage bag for laundering at a later stage.
4. Remove dirt and manure from footwear.
5. Disinfect your footwear upon leaving.
6. Wash hands prior to leaving with soap and water.
7. You should also shower after leaving the property.
1. Have a designated parking area for student to park and unload horses.
2. Ask students to saddle up at float and not to touch any other horse on property.
3. Ask student to disinfect footwear upon entering the property – provide foot bath for this purpose.
4. Students to bring own feed bins and water buckets and avoid the use of communal water troughs.
5. Horse’s feed not eaten to be cleaned up and taken home.
6. Students should not share tack or equipment.
1. Try to limit your contact with the horse as much as possible.
2. In the event of any horse showing signs of ill health, call veterinarian immediately.
1. Wash down your equipment to remove any dirt, manure, body fluids (helmets, gloves, whips and spurs etc.) if you have had direct contact with the horse.
2. Disinfect all equipment used (helmets, gloves, whips and spurs etc.)
3. If you have come in contact with the horse remove clothing leaving them inside out and place in a garbage bag for laundering at a later stage.
4. Do not allow students to use communal washes ask them to unsaddle at float and leave promptly.
How Do I prevent the Spread of Disease When Students are Visiting my Property and I am providing the horse?
1. Have a designated parking area for students to park.
2. Ask student not to touch any other horse on property.
3. Ask student to disinfect footwear, helmet, whips and spurs upon entering property – provide footbaths and wipes for this purpose.
4. Where possible have horse saddled up ready - either done by yourself or your staff.
5. Use your own tack on the horse.
1. Student is to wash down their own equipment to remove any dirt, manure, body fluids (helmets, gloves, whips and spurs etc.).
2. Student is to disinfect their own all equipment used (helmets, gloves, whips and spurs etc.)
3. Student may wish to change clothes especially if they have horses at home.
4. Student to remove dirt and manure from footwear.
5. Student to disinfect footwear upon leaving.
6. Wash hands prior to leaving.
• Any bleaching agent which contains hypochlorite.
• Footwear - Quarternary Ammonium compounds (e.g. Glitz Pine disinfectant)1
• Virkon™ (not to be used on skin)
• Soap and water are satisfactory for washing hands.
• Antibacterial hand gels2
• Chlorhexidine (e.g. Hibitane)
Currently the Victorian Chief Veterinary Officer – Dr Hugh Millar has signed an order under section 32 of the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 preventing the transfer of vehicles and equipment that has been used on horses across the NSW boarder into Victoria without a permit.
If you wish to work both in Victoria and New South Wales or Queensland and take your vehicle and equipment you will need to obtain a permit by calling 1800 678 779.
Heavy penalties apply to offenders: up to $26,400 fine and/or 24 months imprisonment.
Should service providers or owners require further information please contact DPI Victoria Hotline 1800 678 779
1 Available at large hardware stores such as Bunnings
2 Available at supermarkets