Seven horses have died and more than 30 people are now playing a waiting game to see whether they have contracted the deadly Hendra virus.

That, however, is the growing reality for Australians living in the parts of Australia known to be at risk from the Hendra virus.

Seven cases have been diagnosed in little over a fortnight. In all, 31 people now face a six-week wait and regular testing to determine whether they have the deadly infection.

It is, by any measure, a bad start to the Hendra season, which coincides with the breeding season of flying foxes – the native fruit bats that provide a reservoir for the virus.

It has been suggested that disruption to normal feeding grounds resulting from devastating floods in the region earlier this year may be in some way be responsible for the surge in cases.

The virus is able to be passed on to horses, and is then capable of jumping to humans. Of the seven known cases of human infection, four have proved fatal.

While the risk of people contracting the virus is considered low – victims have all had major exposure to bodily fluids from sick horses – the reality is that horse owners need to ramp up their biosecurity in areas considered prone.

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