Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/09/12/18189_news.html
Bird Flu timebomb
Julie McNamara
September 12th, 2008
THERE is a high probability that bird flu will eventually reach Australia, according to a Deakin University expert.
Deakin University environmental science expert Dr Rohan Clarke said given that avian influenza was prevalent in Indonesia, which has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any part of the world, and its proximity to Australia, there was a high likelihood it would eventually be detected here.
Dr Clarke has been involved in a study of migratory birds moving from South-East Asia and Papua New Guinea to northern Australia, with the aim of tracking how disease spreads.
He has made several trips to the Torres Strait to take samples from birds and study their migration patterns.
He said this was the obvious pathway of any disease like bird flu moving into Australia because Australian islands are just 3kms from the Papua New Guinea coastline.
"Clearly this border is the major bio-security threat for Australia and if anything is likely to come into the country, this is the path the disease is likely to come through," Dr Clarke said.
His research project is looking at rates and spread of avian malaria among birds in the region, with the aim of using the information to predict the way other diseases might travel through birds in Australia.
Dr Clarke said avian malaria was a common bird affliction and although it was similar to human malaria, it didn't affect people
He said that blood smears done on location showed a high prevalence of malaria infection - about 30 per cent - making it an ideal study in disease transmission.
Dr Clarke said the Torres Strait was a major migration pathway for birds in Australia
"We are talking hundreds and thousands of birds moving back and forward across the strait each year," he said.
"We can use this information to see how bird diseases might move around different areas and it has implications for our understanding of how bird flu might spread," he said.
Bird Flu timebomb
Julie McNamara
September 12th, 2008
THERE is a high probability that bird flu will eventually reach Australia, according to a Deakin University expert.
Deakin University environmental science expert Dr Rohan Clarke said given that avian influenza was prevalent in Indonesia, which has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any part of the world, and its proximity to Australia, there was a high likelihood it would eventually be detected here.
Dr Clarke has been involved in a study of migratory birds moving from South-East Asia and Papua New Guinea to northern Australia, with the aim of tracking how disease spreads.
He has made several trips to the Torres Strait to take samples from birds and study their migration patterns.
He said this was the obvious pathway of any disease like bird flu moving into Australia because Australian islands are just 3kms from the Papua New Guinea coastline.
"Clearly this border is the major bio-security threat for Australia and if anything is likely to come into the country, this is the path the disease is likely to come through," Dr Clarke said.
His research project is looking at rates and spread of avian malaria among birds in the region, with the aim of using the information to predict the way other diseases might travel through birds in Australia.
Dr Clarke said avian malaria was a common bird affliction and although it was similar to human malaria, it didn't affect people
He said that blood smears done on location showed a high prevalence of malaria infection - about 30 per cent - making it an ideal study in disease transmission.
Dr Clarke said the Torres Strait was a major migration pathway for birds in Australia
"We are talking hundreds and thousands of birds moving back and forward across the strait each year," he said.
"We can use this information to see how bird diseases might move around different areas and it has implications for our understanding of how bird flu might spread," he said.
