In October 2006, several people thought to be infected with avian influenza flew into Brisbane, triggering an emergency response that revealed important gaps in the country’s preparedness for a pandemic.
The “patients” were in fact participants in a massive exercise, involving 1500 participants, testing whether the $610 million invested in pandemic planning over the previous three […]
Pandemics
Learning the lessons from swine flu
Paramedics forgotten in our health care debate
Where does the provision of out-of-hospital Emergency Medical Services figure in the national health debate?
Why indigenous Australians need their own pandemic plan
The recent death of an Aboriginal man who had tested positive to swine flu has raised concerns of the vulnerability of Indigenous people to disease pandemics, writes Dr Sophie Couzos.
Swine Flu: we’ve been asking the wrong questions
The current outbreak of Swine Flu may have captured international headlines, but it has done surprisingly little to focus attention on the role of intensive animal production in contributing to the spread of infections.
Swine flu points out flaws in pandemic policy
I spent the last two weeks in Washington DC, watching with great interest how the US is dealing with the current outbreak of Swine Flu, writes Dr Lesley Russell.
A visual guide to flu pandemics
A visual guide to flu pandemicsA world map showing how swine flu stacks up against other great flu pandemics.
Swine Flu: the dangers of over-reacting
There are significant costs for intervening too much, writes Claire Hooker. And yet, the data so far — especially the low virulence reported in cases outside Mexico — doesn’t look that bad.
Crikey Clarifier: Crikey Clarifier: How does Swine Flu kill you?
John Matthews gives Crikey the lowdown on the deadly nature of Swine Influenza.
The global cost of swine flu
Could an epidemic take down global markets?
Relenza pioneer wants to create universal anti-viral
Professor Mark von Itzstein has told Crikey that he’s currently working on an anti-viral agent to shut down viruses like Swine Flu.
And now for some positive news about pandemics
It’s still unclear whether the new form of H1N1 influenza, first identified in Mexico, will spread easily around the world, writes Professor John D. Mathews.
GP: We’re unprepared for a pandemic
At an absolute minimum a truck should have arrived at every GP surgery in Australia today with a crate of emergency supplies. Nothing of the sort happened, writes a suburban GP.
Flu pandemic: History says don’t panic
Whether it’s anthrax, mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu or, going back to the 1990s, ebola, the news of an outbreak causes fear unjustified by the reality.
Crikey Clarifier: Can we still eat pork crackling?
Swine influenza clarified Crikey style by Dean of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences Deakin University Professor John Catford.
