A test developed for bird flu by CSIRO and the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (AB-CRC) is successfully being used to test horses for equine influenza.

Equine influenza is caused by a strain of influenza virus that is related to, but differs from, the strain causing bird flu. The nucleic acid-based test can detect both strains of the bird flu virus as well as other strains of influenza virus and is complete in a few hours.

The Chief Executive Officer of the AB-CRC, Dr Stephen Prowse, says quick diagnosis of equine influenza is a key to controlling the disease.

“A rapid diagnostic test for influenza ensures that appropriate control and containment measures are implemented quickly,” he says.

The bird flu test now being used as a first-line diagnostic test for equine influenza was developed within the microbiologically secure environment of CSIRO Livestock Industries’ Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Victoria, and was transferred to all major government veterinary laboratories in Australia and New Zealand.

The AB-CRC, CSIRO, the Rural Industries Research Development Corporation and the states supported trials to validate the tests and ensure accurate and rapid detection of the influenza virus.

AAHL Director, Dr Martyn Jeggo, says the development of the test and the transfer and validation are critical to our national diagnostic capacity.

“The close relationship between AAHL and the state veterinary diagnostic laboratories has been critical to the successful validation of the test and its use in this outbreak of equine influenza,” Dr Jeggo says.

This provided a high level of confidence in Australia’s capacity to detect equine influenza.