HERG team member Craig Smith, Research Program Officer, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, (DPIQ), recently completed a disease surveillance operation in the Torres Strait during October 2003. This research project was funded by a grant received form the US National Institute of Health, Fogarty International Centre, of which Dr Hume Field, Principal Veterinary Epidemiologist, DPIQ, is a Principal Investigator of the research project that endeavours to examine the factors that led to the emergence of Hendra and Nipah virus in Australia and southeast Asia. Photo: L. Hall.

Other members of the Torres Strait operation included Dr Les Hall, Senior Lecturer, from the University of Queensland, and officers from the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS), a program of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). AQIS staff included Tim Kerlin, NAQS Senior Scientific Officer, Dr Emma Watkins, NAQS Scientific Veterinary Officer, and Abai Bann, Quarantine Inspector Boigu Island. Photo C. Smith.

The exploits of the team during the operation were followed by Simon Williamson, videographer, and Marty Fay, sound recordist, who filmed components of the operation for a news segment on American 60 Minutes II. Similary, a news crew, with Scott Pelly, American 60 Minutes II correspondent, visited Malaysia during the same period of time to interview and film Dr Peter Daszak, Program Director, Consortium for Conservation Medicine, (CCM), Dr Hume Field and Dr Jon Epstein, Senior Program Officer, CCM, Dr Kaw Bing Chua, Principal Investigator, International Medical University, (IMU), Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin, Principal Investigator, Veterinary Research Instittue, (VRI), Dr Sohayati Abdul Rahman, graduate student, VRI, and Kwai Hoe Chong, graduate student, IMU, on  the emergence of Nipah virus in Malaysia. Photo: T. Kerlin.

Whilst in the Torres Strait the team was successful in trapping and sampling flying foxes on both Thursday Island and Boigu Island, only 3 km from the coast of Papua New Guinea, for the surveillance of Hendra and Nipah virus. They were also successful in attaching solar powered satellite transmitters, Platform Terminal Transmitters, to two animals whose movements will be studied over the next three years. Photo: C. Smith.

The research project aims to establish the prevalence of Hendra virus in flying fox populations pre and post-border, and to determine by satellite telemetry the extent of the contact occurring between Australian and 'international' flying foxes. Photo: C. Smith.

During this, and previous operations, DPIQ has enjoyed the collaborative support it has received from AQIS. On this survey to the Torres Strait, AQIS contributed veterinary support, financial support for helicopter transfers and boat transport between the islands. Photo: C. Smith.

Watch video footage of Bogiu Island from the Reef helicopter. Video: C. Smith.