The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHRMC) has convened a discussion panel of leading H5N1 bird flue experts to discuss research to assist the Asia Pacific’s response to future epidemics of the disease.

 

Jointly hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the forum heard from leading H5N1 bird flu experts on the need for greater awareness of public policy, improved response to future pandemics and new innovations in vaccine development.

 

“Australia boasts some outstanding achievements in virology and influenza research, however we need to remain vigilant and build on recent H5N1 research and consider the implications for public health and health policy,” NHMRC CEO, Professor Warwick Anderson said.

 

NHMRC is the leading funding body of human infectious disease research in Australia, and in the last 10 years has allocated $8.5 million to H5N1 research across 39 grants.

 

At the forum Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Tokyo, discussed his research findings that certain genetic alterations in H5N1 increase transmissibility in animal models. Professor Derek Smith, University of Cambridge, discussed the potential for H5N1 to mutate and adapt to other hosts.