Mr KNIGHT - 2005-11-30
Earlier today, you announced the national simulation of the avian influenza outbreak in Australia has commenced. Can you outline how this simulation will assist in testing the Territory’s preparedness to deal with a major animal disease outbreak, should it ever occur in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As members are aware, in the past 12 months we have seen an epidemic of avian influenza in Asia with thousands of birds being infected and the infection spreading to Europe. We have seen about 64 people die in Asia from the avian influenza. However, that was not the first time that avian influenza was detected. The first time it was detected was in 1997 when 18 people were infected in Hong Kong and six of them died.
Of course, our proximity to Asia makes us very vulnerable, and the Territory is taking part in Exercise Eleusis to test our preparedness should the disease reach our shores. We are part of a national table top exercise simulating an outbreak of avian influenza. While the Territory is not infected, according to the exercise, we have a number of scenarios. Yesterday, we had a freight plane with 16 000 chickens that we had to deal with because, under the exercise, the Territory was quarantined. Today we had to deal with a number of dead birds in Kakadu.
Such exercises are very important, because we can test and prepare ourselves for what can happen, and also learn from our counterparts in other states, and also teach our counterparts a few lessons. This morning, I found out that nobody in the southern states has actually considered disseminating information about the avian influenza to people of non-English speaking backgrounds, or dealing with the Aboriginal communities that live up north. Our department identified that issue and notified their counterparts in other states.
We participate in many other exercises. Exercise Minotaur was another one that took place. For the record, I have to say that, even though Exercise Eleusis is a Greek name, it had nothing to do with me; it was selected by a bureaucrat in Canberra. Eleusis or Elefsis is the name of a city in Greece, one of the oldest cities in the world - 3000 years old. It has the temple of Goddess Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, so it was very appropriate for an agricultural-based exercise to have such a name.
The reality is that we have been fortunate. We do not have an outbreak or an infection in the Northern Territory. The department has tested a number of dead poultry provided by residents, none of which was infected by the avian influenza virus.
During this exercise, we also provided training for overseas visitors. We were very fortunate to have two doctors from Sabah, Malaysia. They were here to attend a microbiology course, and they attended the exercise as observers and were very happy they were here at this particular time because they can take this expertise back to Malaysia.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As members are aware, in the past 12 months we have seen an epidemic of avian influenza in Asia with thousands of birds being infected and the infection spreading to Europe. We have seen about 64 people die in Asia from the avian influenza. However, that was not the first time that avian influenza was detected. The first time it was detected was in 1997 when 18 people were infected in Hong Kong and six of them died.
Of course, our proximity to Asia makes us very vulnerable, and the Territory is taking part in Exercise Eleusis to test our preparedness should the disease reach our shores. We are part of a national table top exercise simulating an outbreak of avian influenza. While the Territory is not infected, according to the exercise, we have a number of scenarios. Yesterday, we had a freight plane with 16 000 chickens that we had to deal with because, under the exercise, the Territory was quarantined. Today we had to deal with a number of dead birds in Kakadu.
Such exercises are very important, because we can test and prepare ourselves for what can happen, and also learn from our counterparts in other states, and also teach our counterparts a few lessons. This morning, I found out that nobody in the southern states has actually considered disseminating information about the avian influenza to people of non-English speaking backgrounds, or dealing with the Aboriginal communities that live up north. Our department identified that issue and notified their counterparts in other states.
We participate in many other exercises. Exercise Minotaur was another one that took place. For the record, I have to say that, even though Exercise Eleusis is a Greek name, it had nothing to do with me; it was selected by a bureaucrat in Canberra. Eleusis or Elefsis is the name of a city in Greece, one of the oldest cities in the world - 3000 years old. It has the temple of Goddess Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, so it was very appropriate for an agricultural-based exercise to have such a name.
The reality is that we have been fortunate. We do not have an outbreak or an infection in the Northern Territory. The department has tested a number of dead poultry provided by residents, none of which was infected by the avian influenza virus.
During this exercise, we also provided training for overseas visitors. We were very fortunate to have two doctors from Sabah, Malaysia. They were here to attend a microbiology course, and they attended the exercise as observers and were very happy they were here at this particular time because they can take this expertise back to Malaysia.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016