‘Pandemic potential on our doorstep’
Here's the latest on the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu - featuring Dr Michelle Wille on ABC, social media, radio & the International Symposium on Avian Influenza in Canada.
Dr Michelle Wille, Dept Microbiology & Immunology, was interviewed by ABC News for their report ‘Pandemic potential on our doorstep’. The report highlights Australia beign surrounded by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu that is morphing as sea animals and birds bring it ever closer to our shores.
"It's only a matter of time before the H5N1 arrives in Australia" Michelle Wille tells CBC Radio in advance of the International Symposium on Avian Influenza in Canada.
The International Symposium on Avian Influenza saw more than 400 people attend both in-person and online to highlight the need for greater resources in fighting the avian flu panzootic. The virus started around the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle told CBC News - and it meant people prioritized COVID-19 over the avian influenza.
"COVID has provided us with lots of really useful tools, techniques, updated platforms to analyze and share data. And so we're really leveraging all of those advanced technologies to help us track avian influenza," Michelle said.
With the arrival of migratory birds, we are entering a high risk period for the arrival of the highly-infectious high pathogenicity H5N1 strain. But what is avian flu? And what can we do about it? Dr Michelle Wille explains ⏯️
Dr Michelle Wille is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Pathogen Genomics at the Doherty Institute and Department of Microbiology & Immunology. She previously held a prestigious ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award at the University of Sydney. She has an ongoing honorary position at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza.
Dr Wille is interested in One Health-scale research, with a focus on viruses of wildlife. She is particularly interested in the ecology and evolution of avian influenza viruses, globally, as well as virus community ecology in avian systems.