Disease in Humans

Hendra virus infection is a disease caused by Hendra virus. Initially named Equine Morbilivirus, Hendra virus is a member of the genus Henipavirus, a new class of virus in the Paramyxoviridae family. It is closely related to Nipah virus. It was first isolated in 1994 during an outbreak of acute respiratory disease among horses and humans in Hendra, Brisbane. The natural host for Hendra virus is the flying fox. The virus can spread from flying foxes to horses, horses to horses and, rarely, from horses to people. In July 2011 a single dog on a property where three horses were infected with Hendra virus had a positive blood test that showed evidence of exposure to Hendra virus. The dog showed no signs of illness. Symptom