# 550
Yesterday it was announced that three researchers in Australia may have been inadvertently exposed to the H5N1 virus while doing experiments. This update is from the Herald Sun.
Bird flu scientists isolated
Jane Metlikovec, health reporter
March 08, 2007 12:00am
Article from:
TWO scientists exposed to bird flu after sharing a faulty lab-suit are being monitored while another has been given the all-clear.
A female senior technician has returned to work at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, while two animal handlers, a male and a female, have been ordered to remain at home in isolation as a precaution.
The trio had been involved in an experiment on ducks infected with a South-East Asian strain of the avian flu when it was discovered on Monday that an air filter in one of the protective suits was missing.
The aim of the research was to better understand the risk of a bird flu outbreak to Australia.
The three were taken to the Geelong Hospital where they were given anti-viral treatment and underwent testing.
All had tested negative to the virus by Tuesday.
The two animal handlers in home quarantine are receiving daily blood tests and are showing no symptoms.
The male is expected to be released by Saturday, and the female by Monday -- both seven days after they were last in contact with the ducks.
Victoria's chief health officer Dr Rob Hall yesterday defended the decision to wait two days before making the information public, saying the risk of an outbreak was "very, very low".
"Firstly, these people have all tested negative to bird flu, they don't have symptoms, and secondly, this is a bird flu virus that they were doing work on which doesn't have a track record of infecting people," Dr Hall said.
"If we thought that there was a possibility of an outbreak then we would certainly make announcements, but it has been our view that this does not pose an infectious risk."
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