Strangles detected at Ballarat stable

Officials say there is minimal risk to other horses at the Ballarat training centre despite a case of the infectious disease strangles at Matt Cumani’s stable.

Cumani confirmed on Thursday one of his horses had been diagnosed with the contagious upper respiratory tract disease and been isolated.

Racing Victoria steward Corey Waller, regional manager of stewards in the Ballarat area, said there were no restrictions in place for other Ballarat trainers regarding the movement of horses.

But he said trainers needed to be vigilant in their normal routines.

“Ramifications for trainers at the Ballarat training centre should be minimal,” Waller told RSN927.

“The quarantine at this stage will be restricted to the one at Matt Cumani’s property where the confirmed case is and where the other quarantined animals are at this present time.

“There’s a number of bio-security measures that have been put in place by the Cumani stable on veterinary advice.”

Cumani issued a statement saying otherhorseswhodisplayedclinical signsofthedisease were beingtested and so far the results were negative.

The trainer has enlisted the help of Dr Brian Anderson from the Ballarat Veterinary Practice and Professor James Gilkerson from the University of Melbourne, a world leader in equine infectious diseases, to help manage the issue.

“Toensurewemanagethisissueappropriatelywehaveinstituted aquarantine,treatmentandtestingregimenusingbest practiceprocedures,” Cumani said.

“Weareveryfortunatetobeinthepositionofhavingthreebarnswiththeirown facilities.

“Theseareindependentofothertrainers. AsaresultIamoptimistic that,shouldthisinfectionbeconfirmedinotherhorses,itwillberesolved quickly.

“Despitetheseriousnessofthisinfection,itisimportanttonotethatmosthorses recoverfromstrangleswithnolong-termaftereffects.”

Cumani has three barns that work independently of each other with their own wash bays, feed rooms and tack rooms.

He says he has designated staff for each barn and horses within the quarantined barn are not being exercised.