Virus on a boat – a belated graphic

Remember when we all died from the pandemic that started on a cruise ship, caused by a passenger acquiring and spreading Orthohantavirus andesense? Me neither. That’s because we didn’t. And Read More ...

Well, the day had to come. “Bird flu” flies into Australia on a feathered wing.

Lock up the chooks! According to Australia’s national broadcaster, Western Australia (WA) is the site for the first importation to the Australian mainland – via a bird – of an Read More ...

Looks like Flu has reset in Australia

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a brand-new respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2. With that introduction, as suspected, lots of things were thrown into disarray. One of those was the circulation of other respiratory Read More ...

A/H5N1 strain of avian influenza A virus (“bird flu”) confirmed in two dead birds in Australia

Australia’s Minister for Agriculture has notified Australians that overnight laboratory testing confirmed the presence of A/H5N1 in one sick bird and an H5 virus in another, both found in the same region of Read More ...

Ebola virus disease crosses the border into Uganda

Posted onJune 12, 2019June 13, 2019

The first confirmed case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) has been reported in a child identified in Kasese, Uganda. The child, who died has a history of travelling to The Read More …

Every flu season is a soup of viruses

Posted onJune 6, 2019July 4, 20196 Comments

It may surprise some to know that influenza isn’t caused by just one “flu virus”. There are multiple flu viruses which can all cause the flu and they are around Read More …

An influenza virus is the sum of its parts

Posted onMay 30, 2019May 1, 2025

Influenza viruses are distinct from other viruses that infect and affect the respiratory tract. Their genetic material—the stuff that acts as the blueprint to make and assemble their proteins—comes in Read More …

The Australian Flunami rolls on

Posted onMay 18, 2019August 5, 2019

Flu. What the heck are you doing? Since November 2018 – traditionally a time of influenza decline as the winter season wanes to a baseline level – you’ve been causing Read More …

Portrait of uncontrolled Ebola

Posted onMay 13, 2019May 15, 2019

The latest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak has been a slow burn in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the first official report in July 2018. With the wonderful Read More …

More confirmed Ebola deaths than cases?

Posted onMay 7, 2019May 7, 2019

A strange number pattern has appeared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Ministry of Health (MOH) Ebola virus disease (EVD) Reports for a couple of the affected health Read More …

Influenza vaccine protection in adults: it’s better than you think

Posted onApril 19, 2019April 20, 2019

It seems like every year we’re told that the timespan for which influenza (flu) vaccination provides us immunity is a little shorter. In the next few posts, I’ll have a Read More …

SNAPDATE: Measles in Australia

Posted onApril 18, 2019April 18, 20191 Comment

Measles in Australia is having a bumper year. But it hasn’t been such a good year for those who have not yet been vaccinated by necessity (younger than 9-12 months) Read More …

SNAPDATE: Flu in Australia to 15th April 2019

Posted onApril 15, 2019May 18, 2019

A snap update of the current laboratory-confirmed numbers of influenza-infected people in Australia as we move to halfway through the autumn month April in the southern hemisphere. As can be Read More …

Aluminium and you

Posted onApril 12, 2019December 30, 2019

Aluminium (aluminum if you’re from North America) is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust and the third most abundant element of the planet.[1,37] Compounds containing aluminium are also Read More …

Measles hot spots all over Australia

Posted onApril 5, 2019April 9, 2019

Overnight, New South Wales announced another two cases of measles bringing its total “since Christmas” to 30 cases.[1] Today Queensland announced another two as well. But perhaps more worrying is Read More …

But 40,000+ cases of AFP in India must mean polio is thriving, right? No.

Posted onMarch 28, 2019April 20, 20198 Comments

Have you heard the one about the global conspiracy that polio is rampant in India because thousands of cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) occur there each year? Follow me Read More …

No, they didn’t rename polio

Posted onMarch 20, 2019March 21, 20191 Comment

Have you heard the one about all the world’s health experts getting together and hiding the real state of human polio cases by renaming “polio” to “acute flaccid paralysis” (AFP)? Read More …

Galloping Gish! So many papers, so little relevance

Posted onMarch 16, 2019March 17, 20191 Comment

Have you been privileged to interact with that fine, tiny but very loud cabal we call #antivaxxers? Do you know the ones? Those who have minds totally made up. They Read More …

They are us

Posted onMarch 16, 2019March 17, 2019

Kia Kaha New Zealand. Stay Strong. The use of hate and fear only creates more hate and fear. And it creates anger and loss. Tragic loss. Some articles online that Read More …

Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

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