Government aims to deliver city-level services to rural communities
The Government wants to make sure that rural communities get a level of service that people who live in cities often complacently expect.
Scientists are calling for urgent action following the discovery of a new strain of swine flu.
The discovery was announced in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.
Similar to the 2009 swine flu strain, the research claims the new strain ‘G4 EA H1N1’ has the ability to infect humans and spread globally.
According to the research, the viruses’ ability to infect humans is increasing. Such an increase indicates a growing opportunity for the virus to begin adapting and spreading in humans.
As a result, the authors of the research are calling for urgent systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in the pig sector as a measure to offer pre-warnings before pandemics.
“Similar to pdm/09 virus, G4 viruses have all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus. Of concern is that swine workers show elevated seroprevalence for G4 virus,
“Controlling the prevailing G4 EA H1N1 viruses in pigs and close monitoring in human populations, especially the workers in swine industry, should be urgently implemented,” says the research.
The research is based on influenza virus surveillance of pigs from 2011 to 2018 in China, including 30,000 swabs from pigs in Chinese abattoirs and 1,000 swabs from pigs with respiratory symptoms.
Whilst 179 virus strains were discovered, the G4 EA H1N1 strain was of immediate attention to the researchers.
The strain is distinct from current influenza vaccine strains, meaning that humans do not have immunity to it from existing seasonal influenza vaccines.
“While all of our focus has been on Covid-19, the other disease continues its march,” said former special trade envoy, Mike Petersen on Twitter this morning.
Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, says that whilst the virus has pandemic potential, people should remain calm.
“What we should not do is freak out and expect that another flu pandemic is imminent. We should prepare for the flu pandemic that will come: maybe this fall, maybe not for another few years, but is inevitable,” she wrote on Twitter.
Rasmussen also noted that the research was based on only around 350 people and was not subject to rigorous standard peer review, with the senior author choosing his reviewers.
Healthcare appears to be the big winner in this year's budget as agriculture and environment miss out.
OPINION: Foreign policy is a real strength of Winston Peter and this is recognised by Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) officials who, so the story goes, wanted him in his present role because of his experience in that field.
DairyNZ subsidiary New Zealand Animal Evaluation (NZAEL) will update the genetic base used to calculate Breeding Worth (BW) next month.
Ruralco has donated $10,000 to the Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust following a recent fundraising golf tournament.
Nominations are open for three positions on the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board.
Lydia Goodman has been crowned the Central Otago 2025 Young Grower of the Year regional winner.
OPINION: Imagine if the Hound had called the Minister of Finance the 'c-word' and accused her of "girl math".
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global…