Hendra virus crosses from horses to dog on NSW property AUTHORITIES are calling for more horses to be vaccinated against the deadly Hendra virus, with the first dog in NSW to be infected put down. The incident follows the Hendra death of a horse from the same property on the mid-north coast near Macksville on July 4. NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Ian Roth said there have never been other species aside from humans and horses that had been affected by Hendra in the state. "It's the first dog in NSW," Dr Roth said. We believe it got Hendra from direct contact with the infected horse on that property. The first dog to be put down after catching Hendra was in Queensland last year. Dr Roth said that theoretically cats and ferret can also catch the virus although there have never been any cases. But a new vaccine, which has been available for six months, will protect horses from the virus, he said. "We encourage people to preventative measure," Dr Roth said. You'll not only be protecting your horse, you'll protect yourself, your family and your companion animals. The latest deaths come after another horse from Kempsey and two from Macksville died after contracting Hendra, all within the last six weeks. There have also been several cases of Hendra in Queensland in the last 12 months. Horses can contract the virus by eating feed or drinking water contaminated with body fluids and excretions from flying foxes infected with the virus. Dr Roth said flying foxes had the biggest population in the mid-north coast and therefore cases there were often numerous. In 2011, there was a spike in the number of cases in Queensland and NSW with 18 outbreaks and 24 reported cases, according to the CSIRO. Since 1994, four people have been killed from Hendra, all of them in Queensland.