'Pretty devastating': Exploring horse owner and veterinarian personal experiences of the equine Hendra virus

Jennifer White^1,2*Kirrilly Thompson^1,3Debra van den Berg van den Berg⁴Genevieve O’Neill⁴Diana H Mendez⁵Joanne Talwar^1,2Chris Degeling⁶Rebecca Forsythe⁷David Durrheim^1,2

• ¹The University of Newcastle College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, Callaghan, Australia
• ²Hunter New England Local Health District, New Lambton, Australia
• ³Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
• ⁴Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, Australia
• ⁵James Cook University, Townsville City, Australia
• ⁶University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
• ⁷New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Orange, Australia

With more than 60% of emerging infectious diseases being zoonotic, we apply a One Health lens that connects human, animal, and environmental dimensions of the response to the Hendra virus (HeV) event. One Health promotes collaboration among health professionals, veterinarians, environmental scientists, and policymakers to strengthen health infrastructure and improve responses to complex health threats. HeV is an uncommon high-consequence and potentially fatal zoonotic disease endemic to parts of Australia. Previous research has largely focused on the uptake of preparedness measures by veterinarians and horse owners and less is known about the emotional and experiential factors that may influence their behaviours. This study applied Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to examine how horse owners and veterinarians experience, interpret, and act on HeV risk within a One Health frame of reference. Our aim was to characterise lived experiences at the human–animal–system interface and identify actionable, cross-sector recommendations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight horse owners and five veterinarians in a regional area of northern New South Wales, Australia. Results identified four superordinate themes from the horse owners and two overarching themes from veterinarians. Findings highlight the emotional complexity of recognising and responding to HeV, including grief responses, and implications for future public health strategies. We advocate the need for comprehensive support structures underscored by public health liaison with a trusted general practitioner and dedicated access to mental health practitioners experienced in emergency and crisis contexts. A need for clear guidance for managing uncertain or deteriorating equine health was identified. These findings demonstrate how qualitative social science, applied within a One Health framework, can inform targeted