Three more horses have died across Victorian farms from mystery illnesses, as baffled authorities desperately try to work out the cause behind their sudden deaths.
A total of 13 horses have now died in the state in the space of a week, though officials have yet to determine any common links between the deaths.
It’s believed none of the horses had died with any kind of infectious illness, adding to the bizarre mystery.
Chief Veterinary Officer at Agriculture Victoria, Dr Graeme Cooke, said it’s a “worrying time for owners”.
“We’re still at 13 (deaths), however we have not had anymore reports of multiple sudden deaths – more than one horse at at one premises – since the fourteenth of July,” Cooke said on 3AW.
“Our investigations are continuing and have suggested there are no common links between these incidences, and certainly no evidence of infectious diseases.
“So therefore there’s been no reason to restrict horse movements or horse events.
”We’re asking owners who have had horses who had deteriorated very rapidly, and we’re talking about otherwise healthy horses that suddenly die within 24 hours, to report them to the vet and Agriculture Victoria.”
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Cooke said there’s no indication any of the horses had even died by the same cause.
“We’re treating this as a complex investigation,” he said.
“The samples will take some time to run through.
“We’re asking horse owners to really monitor their animals.”
It’s “unusual” to have multiple deaths in horses “in the same group”, Cooke said, adding that the possibility of pure coincidence has not been ruled out.
“Certainly this is very unusual for Victoria against our records,” he said.
“We’re open to all possibilities.”
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