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

I thank Senator Brown for his supplementary question. I can add in relation to the question of in what ways the Mexican H1N1 flu might become more life threatening that the Mexican H1N1 influenza could become more life threatening if the virus changed its genetic structure. It could also cause a mild disease. History has shown us that pandemic viruses change in severity as they move around the world causing waves of disease. The World Health Organisation has stated that the emergence of an inherently more virulent virus during the course of the pandemic can never, of course, be ruled out. Australia is amongst the best prepared nations in the world for pandemic infectious diseases. As to the question of whether Australia is prepared for a pandemic, I can answer, ‘Yes, Australia is one of the best prepared countries in the world— (Time expired)