G'day! Health reporter Olivia Willis here, back bringing you the latest in ABC Health and Wellbeing.
A couple of weeks ago, I visited a biosafety level 4 lab where scientists study highly transmissible and potentially lethal pathogens, including Ebola and Hendra virus.
I was very excited and, admittedly, a little nervous — but mostly intrigued to see how Australian scientists track and study emerging disease threats.
The lab is housed inside the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong, about an hour south-west of Melbourne. It's one of only a handful of high-containment facilities in the country, and the only one equipped to handle infected livestock at the highest biosecurity level.
ACDP scientists undertake research into a range of animal and zoonotic diseases (those that spread between animals and humans) to help protect livestock, wildlife and people.
And, as I discovered on my visit, they're kitted out in serious personal protective equipment — and required to take a lot of showers — to do this kind of work.
In other health news this week, an independent accreditation system will be established for fertility providers in a bid to improve transparency.
And finally, the federal government's eagerly anticipated National Climate Risk Assessment has just been released.
It details the risks climate change will pose to Australia in the future, from national security to health systems and everything in between.
I'll catch you next week.
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