Non-Subscriber Extract
Australia buys infrared scanners to fight pandemics
By Ben Vogel
06 February 2008
International airports in Australia are set to play a role in fighting pandemics after the purchase of infrared thermal-imaging equipment by the country's health ministry.
The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) said that the special scanners would be deployed at all international airports in the event of a pandemic threat.
This followed a trial at Cairns International Airport in north Queensland led by Professor William McBride of James Cook University (JCU). "The thermal screening component of the JCU trial was undertaken over a 21-week period from 1 April to 9 June 2006 and 15 July to 29 September 2006," an official at the DoHA told Jane's. During that period, arriving international passengers were screened for contagious diseases such as malaria, influenza and dengue fever.
While the official said that the DoHA could not formally comment on the outcome of the trial, a total of 25 thermal-imaging scanners have been bought for potential deployment at all eight international airports in Australia.