Could rabbits become part of the bird flu story in Australia? A Blog by Dr Brian Cooke (available here) provides information gleaned internationally and discusses ways in which rabbits could be involved.
Risk is a factor of likelihood of occurrence and the severity of any impact should it occur. The Blog helps identify possible hazards as a first step to a risk assessment.
It is not know whether H5N1 will become widely established in Australia, and even if it does, rabbits may prove to be unsuitable or unimportant hosts for the virus. However, in terms of assessing risk it pays to consider all options. Canvassing possibilities now provides a head start should further action be needed.
