Is Australia really prepared for a bird flu outbreak?
The World Health Organisation has made dire predictions about the impact of a possible bird flu pandemic, which could cause the deaths of millions of people around the world. Avian Influenza, or bird flu, has sparked global concerns after the first case of human to human transmission was reported last September in Thailand. While scientists are unsure of how the virus will develop, estimates of it’s destructive effects range from 2 million to 50 million people being killed worldwide in the event of an outbreak. So claims made yesterday by Health Minister Tony Abbott that Australia is better prepared than most countries to meet the threat should have been of some comfort. However, opinions are divided on exactly how well prepared we are to tackle the threat. Dr Stephen Prowse, the chief executive officer of the Bio-Security Co-operative research council, spoke earlier to Bill Birtles about the threat posed by avian influenza.