Biosecurity Queensland reported yesterday the horse at a property at Townsville in North Queensland had returned a positive result for Hendra after it died on January 3.

Ten horse deaths were recorded last year at eight NSW properties in the first known incidence of the bat-borne virus in the State.

In the wake of the biggest outbreak in Queensland and NSW since the virus was first identified in 1994, both state governments committed $6 million funding for research to combat Hendra.

Hendra, which is thought to be transmitted to horses via bat saliva or secretions, has claimed the lives of four of seven people infected with it.

Late last year the Queensland Ombudsman released a report into the Queensland Government’s handling of six clusters of the virus between 2006 and 2009 that was critical of biosecurity authorities, saying they failed to warn the public adequately of health risks, along with other “systemic failures”.

But Premier Anna Bligh said there had been a "significant shift" in the government's handling of outbreaks since the study period