FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2009 file photo, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, whispers with the U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, left, as Kai Eide head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is seen, center, during a press conference, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Kerry, President Barack Obama’s choice for secretary of state, is a familiar face to the world leaders vital to American interests. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
Bats stressed by floods 'may shed virus'
Published: 06:06:09 AM, Thu 14 February 2013 UTC
Bats stressed by recent floods may cough, poo and vomit more often, leading to an outbreak of the deadly hendra virus, vets warn.
Flying fox bats excrete the virus more often than usual in stressful situations such as when their food is destroyed in floods.
Although people can't contract the virus directly from bats they can through horses which pick up the disease by eating feed or water contaminated with flying fox body fluids and excretions.
"Extreme or prolonged stress can result in immune suppression which can facilitate increased shedding of the virus," Australian Veterinary Association president Dr Ben Gardiner told AAP.
Vets and those who work with horses should take precautions such as wearing protective gear and practising good hygiene, he says.
Stressed bats could also spread the virus between regions as they go looking for food in areas not affected by flooding.
Four people have been killed by the virus in Australia since 1994.
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