Scientists say bird flu already in Australia PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY AM - Thursday, 23 February , 2006 08:08:00 Reporter: Lisa Millar TONY EASTLEY: One of Australia's leading bird flu scientists suspects that the virus is already in the country, brought in by migrating birds through northern Australia.
Professor Mark Von Itzstein says while there's no need to panic, it's naive to think that the virus could sweep across Asia and Europe and then entirely miss Australia.
His comments have been backed by another top bird flu expert, Professor Peter Curson.
But Australia's Quarantine officials say they've found no evidence the virus has arrived.
Lisa Millar reports.
LISA MILLAR: Professor Mark von Itzstein is at the forefront of research into anti-flu drugs, leading the team that developed Relenza.
He now heads the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University, and he's worried Australia is becoming blaze about bird flu.
MARK VON ITZSTEIN: Yeah, look, I think that's exactly my point is that we feel at times that we are extremely isolated, never will happen to us, and of course that's not the fact.
LISA MILLAR: He suspects that bird flu is already here.
MARK VON ITZSTEIN: It would be naive of us to think that the virus, via migratory birds, hasn't already landed in Australia. There is no curtain between Indonesia or Australia that prevents migration of birds, and clearly the distance is … in terms of the distance these migratory birds travel, is insignificant. You only have to reflect on what's happening in Europe right now.
LISA MILLAR: But he doesn't want people to panic. He says there are many steps required before humans are at risk.
But his belief that the aggressive H5N1 strain is already here is backed by the Director of the Health Studies Program at Macquarie University, Professor Peter Curson.
PETER CURSON: There's certainly no doubt that parts of northern Australia and perhaps even slightly further afield are on the normal flight path of migrating birds from parts of Asia and South East Asia, so I think it's a reasonable assumption.
LISA MILLAR: The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service has been involved in surveying migratory birds for more than a decade from Cairns to Broom, and spokesman Carson Creagh says there's been no sign of H5N1.
CARSON CREAGH: We do conduct surveys every springtime when migratory birds arrive, and samples are sent off to a number of national reference laboratories for testing. So far we're free of the disease and we certainly hope that we remain that way
These species are waders and shore birds, so fortunately they're highly unlikely to come into contact with domestic poultry, and that's the serious risk for Australia.
LISA MILLAR: But Professor Von Itzstein says Australia's very remoteness means any surveys would be unlikely to find infected birds.
MARK VON ITZSTEIN: I'm certainly not convinced, simply because I know that it would be impossible to actually have a surveillance network that covered absolutely all of the coastline and indeed the substantial wetlands and migratory paths that these birds do follow.
TONY EASTLEY: Professor Mark Von Itzstein from Griffith University ending Lisa Millar's report.
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