sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Bird flu remains strong threat to Australia
Thursday, 10/04/2008
The CSIRO is warning the threats of bird flu entering Australia and becoming pandemic are as real as ever.
It says five years after the current strain of bird flu started killing hundreds of people and poultry across Asia, the disease is now entrenched in neighbouring countries like Indonesia.
This means that, although Australia is helping Indonesia develop vaccines and plan control measures, bird flu may never be wiped out.
Assistant director of the CSIRO's animal health lab, Dr Peter Daniels, says the Government must renew its $100 million annual effort to fight the virus.
"Australia might like to look at continuing the funding when the present allocations are drawing to an end," he says.
"We have to be looking to see what the ongoing need is.
"One thing I believe the public can do is to report unusual deaths in birds.
"That's something I think we'll be encouraging - more and more public assistance.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200804/s2213100.htm
Thursday, 10/04/2008
The CSIRO is warning the threats of bird flu entering Australia and becoming pandemic are as real as ever.
It says five years after the current strain of bird flu started killing hundreds of people and poultry across Asia, the disease is now entrenched in neighbouring countries like Indonesia.
This means that, although Australia is helping Indonesia develop vaccines and plan control measures, bird flu may never be wiped out.
Assistant director of the CSIRO's animal health lab, Dr Peter Daniels, says the Government must renew its $100 million annual effort to fight the virus.
"Australia might like to look at continuing the funding when the present allocations are drawing to an end," he says.
"We have to be looking to see what the ongoing need is.
"One thing I believe the public can do is to report unusual deaths in birds.
"That's something I think we'll be encouraging - more and more public assistance.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200804/s2213100.htm