A Brisbane veterinary practice that has been locked down because of an outbreak of the rare Hendra virus will receive financial assistance through the Australian Veterinary Association, following a meeting last evening between State Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin and the clinic owner, Dr David Lovelle.

The State Government will provide a one-off payment to the Australian Veterinary Association - the peak veterinary professional body for Australia - which will work with the practice to respond to biosecurity and animal welfare management costs imposed on the business due to the extended quarantine period.

Mr Mulherin said extraordinary circumstances associated with the outbreak including the long quarantine time, the risk to human health and the welfare of the animals quarantined, led to the special assistance.

"Hendra Virus is very rare and the circumstances surrounding this outbreak even rarer," Mr Mulherin said.

The State Government does not normally compensate businesses for loss of trade due to a disease outbreak.

"For example, businesses in the horse industry were not compensated for loss of trade during the equine influenza outbreak," Mr Mulherin said.

"Matters relating to business continuity are a commercial decision for the individual business.

"What we are doing is beyond what legislation outlines during a disease outbreak but this is an extraordinary case and the AVA and the Government are responding to it as such."

Biosecurity Queensland and Queensland Health have been working intensely with the Redlands Clinic since the outbreak first occurred in early July. This support has included providing:

• a full time, on-site biosecurity manager;

• a full time vet to assist the practice;

• ongoing monitoring and testing of horses;

• assistance for the vet practice to relocate part of its business;

• support for the owner to meet his commitment as official vet for the Ekka;

• financial counsellor assistance; and

• necessary counselling and health assessment of the staff.

Biosecurity Queensland has also been collaborating with the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Victoria, a US medical research organisation and other international groups in research on Hendra virus for a number of years.

To date, this research has made good progress on understanding the genetic makeup of the virus, how it affects the body and its behaviour in fruit bat populations.

Further research is being conducted into how it is transmitted and the characteristics of the different strains.