Virus disease experts in Adelaide

Tuesday, 11 July 2006

Some of Australia's leading experts in virology will be in Adelaide for the next fortnight to address the nation's first Medical Virology course, hosted by the University of Adelaide.

The intensive two-week course, organised by the School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, will discuss the latest advances in knowledge about influenza, herpes, rabies, HIV, West Nile and other high-risk viruses.

Professor Chris Burrell, Microbiology and Immunology Professor at the University and Head of the Infectious Diseases Laboratories at IMVS, said 11 speakers from interstate, as well as local speakers, would present definitive overviews and the latest findings about major viruses.

"This is a unique postgraduate course which will bring together some of the country's top clinical virologists, infectious disease experts, researchers and public health professionals," Professor Burrell said.

"It is the first time a course of this kind has been held in Australia. Attendance at the course has been heavily oversubscribed, and overseas delegates have come from Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand."

Speakers include:

• Australia's top expert in bioterrorism, Antony Della-Porta, the Managing Director of Bio2ic, a Victorian company which provides consultative services worldwide in the areas of biological security and biological containment;

• Dr Bryan Eaton, leading CSIRO virologist and rabies expert;

• Influenza expert, Dr Ian Barr, Head of Laboratories at the WHO Influenza Centre in Melbourne;

• Professor Bill Rawlinson, a herpes virus expert from the University of NSW's Faculty of Medicine.

Professor Burrell said the course recognised, and was designed to address, the significant need for more formal training of virologists in Australia.

"Virology has had a huge impact on global scientific achievement, and been responsible for enormous advances in health and disease control in the last century. Major successes have been achieved against smallpox, polio, yellow fever, influenza, HIV and hepatitis. But many virus diseases still remain unconquered, and population and ecological changes are creating major challenges for us in the 21st century," he said.

The 2006 Virology MasterClass will be held from July 10-21.

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