The Australian Bite

Swine flu calls for egg-stra eggs

18 June 2009

Listen and download: MP3

Laboratories such as Australia's CSL rely on large supplies of chicken eggs for flu vaccine development

This week on the Bite, we find out how farmers are playing a role in the development of a vaccine for swine flu. We drop in on some soldiers having a blast of a time at the Australian Defence Force training range at Mt Bundy. And here’s a question for you. When renowned author HG Wells visited Australia in 1939 what did he say to annoy the heck out of the then Prime Minister Joseph Lyons? Listen in to the show for the answer to that question.

Extra Eggs needed now!

As Australian cases of swine flu seem to rise almost by the hour, so does the need to get a vaccine on the market. And behind the scenes, farmers are playing a crucial role in developing the vaccine by supplying much needed hens’ eggs. That’s because existing methods for making flu vaccines require large amounts of the virus to be grown in chicken eggs. Melanie Simms finds out more from Victioran egg farmer Philip Szepi, Dr Rachel David from CSL, the southern hemisphere’s largest vaccine maker, and Paul Selleck from the CSIRO Animal Health Laboratory.

Soldiers have a blast of a time

At the Australian Defence Force’s Mt Bundy Training Area in the Northern Territory, the soldiers have been taking part in some rather noisy exercises – a combined fire power demonstration. Reporter Kate Humphris was there for the show, and spoke with Brigadier Michael Krause from First Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Brendon Dwyer, Commanding Officer of the First Aviation Regiment.

Writers’ Impressions of Australia

Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, H G Wells and Agatha Christie. These are the names of just some of the many distinguished writers to visit Australia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Tales of the visits of eleven of these writers are told in a new book by well-known literary lecturer Susannah Fullerton. It’s called “Brief Encounters: Literary Travellers in Australia 1836-1939″, and I spoke with her on the line from Sydney.

Music (not in podcast)

“Out the Airlock” is the first track from Something for Kate front man Paul Dempsey’s forthcoming solo album “Everything is True”. After achieving great success with Something for Kate – including two number one albums and thirteen ARIA nominations, Paul wanted to branch out and try something different. He played nearly every intrument on the album, which was produced by Wayne Connolly and is due out on 14 August.
Artist: Paul Dempsey
Track: Out the Airlock
Album: Everything is True (August 2009)