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SYDNEY: Racing officials warned the government three
years ago that changes to quarantine procedures could lead to an
outbreak of equine influenza like that now devastating Australia,
Prime Minister John Howard said Monday
The government had received a
letter from the Australian Racing Board (ARB) with such a warning in
2004, he said, but defended the action taken at the time, including
the use of private vets.
Howard denied that the outbreak
could have been prevented by stricter quarantine guidelines.
“Because of the views of the
breeders, arrangements were made for private sector vets to be
involved in the process but they were acting under the supervision
of government vets,” Howard told reporters in Sydney.
“We were satisfied, at the
time, that that was a proper arrangement,” he said. “What has
caused this latest outbreak, we don’t know. We don’t want to
jump to conclusions about what happened here.”
Howard was responding to a report
in The Australian newspaper saying the ARB wrote to then agriculture
minister Warren Truss in 2004 and 2005 warning planned changes to
procedures posed a potential risk, particularly the use of private
veterinarians.
The newspaper reprinted a 2004
letter signed by then board chairman Andrew Ramsden expressing its
concerns and opposition to the changes.
“Equine influenza is the exotic
disease that the Australian horse industry most fears,” the letter
said. “If equine influenza gained entry to Australia, it would
close down racing and other horse events for several months with
catastrophic economic consequences. A quarantine breakdown is the
only way Australia will be exposed to this exotic disease.”
--AFP
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