Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Bird flu hot topic at disease conference
Posted 1 hour 35 minutes ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/12/2241392.htm
Australia's readiness to deal with an outbreak of bird flu will be one of the key areas under discussion today at a conference of infectious disease experts.
As the nation's stockpile of antiviral drugs for flu nears its use-by date, delegates at the second Pandemic Influenza and Workplace Infectious Diseases conference will be debating what should be done to address the issue.
Buying new stocks of the drugs could cost the Government hundreds of millions of dollars, but experts say not restocking is a risky strategy which could leave Australia dangerously exposed in the event of an outbreak of avian flu.
Other options on the table include relying on supplies from overseas and making the antivirals available to individuals - an approach currently discouraged, with the drugs only available by prescription.
Expired drugs could also be retained, though they would only be used as a last resort.
Posted 1 hour 35 minutes ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/12/2241392.htm
Australia's readiness to deal with an outbreak of bird flu will be one of the key areas under discussion today at a conference of infectious disease experts.
As the nation's stockpile of antiviral drugs for flu nears its use-by date, delegates at the second Pandemic Influenza and Workplace Infectious Diseases conference will be debating what should be done to address the issue.
Buying new stocks of the drugs could cost the Government hundreds of millions of dollars, but experts say not restocking is a risky strategy which could leave Australia dangerously exposed in the event of an outbreak of avian flu.
Other options on the table include relying on supplies from overseas and making the antivirals available to individuals - an approach currently discouraged, with the drugs only available by prescription.
Expired drugs could also be retained, though they would only be used as a last resort.