Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for his question. I have the following answer. This is a question, of course, that is in relation to the transmissibility, which is being considered by scientists worldwide. The spread of influenza A from humans to pigs as occurred recently in Canada is unusual. There is potential, if the H1N1 virus spreads into Indonesia, for it to be passed from humans to pigs. If this were to happen, it is not known if the virus would be able to mix with the H5 virus, otherwise known as the bird flu, within the pig population. Evidence to date about the bird flu virus is that its ability to mix with other viruses is limited compared with the ability of seasonal viruses—that is, those which are H1 and H3—to mix. Nonetheless, this is an important concern that needs close monitoring within any region that has endemic infection with H5 in animal populations. Australia has provided substantial assistance to Indonesia to enhance their ability to detect and manage the H5 bird flu. I also briefly add that to date there have been no further confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza 09—that is, the human swine influenza—since 9 May 2009, and the Australian phase of influenza pandemic alert remains at ‘delay’. There is, of course, no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the virus in Australia, and the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer advises that there is no change to the alert level in Australia at this time. I can say— (Time expired)