Industry groups from government and non-government sectors discussed the issue as part of a national summit yesterday.

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, said the plan to combat equine influenza had to be one that covered all bases.

“We have seen first-hand that one chink in the armour is all that’s needed for this highly contagious disease to take hold and cause insurmountable damage,” he said.

“The summit is about devising a plan that protects our horse industries and horse owners and minimises the risk or impact of a repeat event.”

Equine Veterinarians Australia president Jane Axon said, “as equine influenza has now been eradicated from Australia, the debate will be around whether horses should continue to be vaccinated to protect them against possible future outbreaks”.

She said the AVA didn’t support ongoing vaccination because it feared it would not stop another outbreak.

“Unfortunately the virus can mutate and have a completely different shape tomorrow. Vaccination simply masks the symptoms of equine influenza and makes it even more difficult to spot.”

Dr Axon said the only means of preventing another outbreak was to develop strong and effective quarantine systems.

Another outbreak of the virus would cause major damage to NSW racing, according to industry experts.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’Landys said to the summit, “if it’s got out again, it’s going to cost tens of millions of dollars. Forty thousand people who earn a living in racing directly or indirectly (will be) out of work again. It was catastrophic last year and it has the potential to be catastrophic again.”

The NSW government is expected to form a high-level working group designed to further consider the options raised at the forum.