Time for human Hendra trial: scientist

THE scientist who developed the Hendra vaccine wants to see it trialled on humans.

Almost a year after the Equivac vaccine became commercially available for horse inoculation, Professor Christopher Broder is hoping to secure funding to start human trials.

The US scientist says the Hendra virus protein, in every vaccine dose, has already been successfully tested on cats, ferrets, monkeys and horses.

The first foals recently born to horses vaccinated against Hendra also showed no complications, and Prof Broder says there's no reason why human trials can't go ahead.

"I'd certainly like to see that done," Prof Broder told AAP.

"We picked the right protein and we've been able to show in not only one animal model - but now four animal models - that there are no adverse reactions to the vaccination."

However, Prof Broder said he wasn't sure how soon he could secure funding for a phase-one safety trial.

"Whether or not those funds will become available in the next few years is anyone's guess considering the current state of research support in both the United States and Australia," he said.

Prof Broder said current testing focused on how often a horse's immunity against Hendra should be boosted.

Horses are believed to contract the virus from feed contaminated by urine, saliva or birthing fluids from flying foxes.

There's no known cure for Hendra, but the Equivac HeV vaccine aims to break the cycle of transmission and prevent human deaths.

Four people have died from the virus in Australia since 1994.

Even if the Hendra vaccine can't be tested on humans, Prof Broder is confident it will go a long way towards preventing Hendra virus in horses and people.

Every person infected with Hendra has contracted the virus from a horse, he said.

"The vaccine is going to break that chain of potential transmission and, in reality, if 90 per cent of horses end up getting vaccinated and it's taken up very well then Hendra virus is definitely not going to be a problem any more.

"And I think it has a really good chance of being that way."

Prof Broder will spend the next two weeks in Australia discussing the progress of the vaccine with government representatives and those who have been instrumental in fighting the Hendra virus.

09.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Warships to leave Sydney Harbour

THEY sailed, they berthed and they entertained.

Now the warships in town for the International Fleet Review will depart Sydney Harbour, marking the close of the nine-day navy event.

Those from afar off as Nigeria, India and the United Kingdom arrived a week ago and helped celebrate 100 years since the Royal Australian Navy fleet entered the harbour.

Most will depart at 7am.

Many of the ships will also go on to participate in Exercise Triton Centenary in Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast, which will see nations display warfare skills and exchange maritime views.

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Vic police vow to continue bikie crackdown

POLICE have vowed to continue their crackdown on bikies involved in criminal activities after the largest raid on a single club in Victoria's history.

Guns, ammunition, drugs and cash were seized and 13 people arrested when more than 700 police, including federal and customs officers, swooped on Hells Angels clubhouses and members' homes on Thursday morning.

All of those arrested have significant roles within the Hells Angels, police say.

They include sergeant at arms Peter Hewat, 58, who faces 13 charges at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday after $47,000 of cash and weapons were allegedly seized from his Craigieburn business and Mickleham home.

Police had hoped to find a high-powered AK-47 and a M1 carbine assault rifle - used in recent drive-by shootings by Hells Angels members at rival clubhouses in Hallam, Dandenong and Clayton South - but were unsuccessful.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay has vowed to track them down and put pressure on the gang.

"We haven't recovered those firearms, so we will continue our operation, we will continue our work until we get those guns," he said.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh said the police crackdown will continue.

"Our operation is ongoing and we intend to continue to target all of those groups and individuals that are involved in criminal activities," she said.

Ms Walsh expects Hells Angels across Australia to feel the impact of Thursday's raid.

"The impact interstate has been significant and I think this type of activity and this type of show of strength puts ... all those that are involved in criminal activities on notice," she said.

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Church attempted to conceal crimes, FoI

THE Catholic Church believed it had an understanding with the NSW police in 2003 that allowed them to conceal evidence against pedophile priests, a freedom of information (FoI) document reveals.

The file, accessed through FoI laws by NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge and obtained by ABC's Lateline, documents the Catholic Church's attempt to co-opt NSW police to strike into the illegal agreement.

"Church authorities shall make available the report of an assessment and any other matter relevant to the accused's account of events only if required to do so by court order," the unsigned draft memorandum read.

Catholic Commission for Employment Relations executive director Michael McDonald wrote to the NSW child protection squad on June 18, 2003 seeking confirmation the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was still in place.

In response, Kim McKay from the child protection squad advised no agreement ever existed.

"The arrangements proposed by the draft MOU appear to be in direct conflict with the explicit legislative requirement of section 316 of the Crime Act," he wrote in August 20, 2003.

It's unclear how long the church had been acting according the draft MOU.

Michael Salmon, who was the Catholic Church's point of contact for police at the time, provided a statement to Lateline confirming the church had operated under the unsigned agreement.

"The church assumed it was operational, we were practicing the provisions of the MOU and dealing with the police under those provisions," he said.

"We had an understanding from police it was approved."

Mr Shoebridge says it's unclear how many cases were dealt with by the church under this assumption.

"It's likely that hundreds, if not more than that, cases were processed through this MOU," he told ABC.

"Processed in a way that didn't protect victims, didn't assist the police in prosecuting for crimes, but protected the good name of the church."

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Man stabbed after Sydney mugging

TWO men have been robbed and one stabbed on a busy west Sydney street.

A man turned up with stab wounds to a medical centre on Haldon Street, the main shopping strip in Lakemba, on Thursday night.

He was taken to St George Hospital but his injuries have been described as non-life threatening.

His uncle - who was not hurt - has told police the man was stabbed after the pair were robbed by two men on the street.

Police have established a crime scene and are urging witnesses to come forward.

09.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rudd to unveil outer suburbs plan

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd is to unveil his plan to make living in the outer suburbs more affordable.

Mr Rudd, who is campaigning in Perth on Friday, will commit to appointing Australia's first Minister for Cities and will also pledge to set up a task-force to look at boosting jobs and economic growth in the outer suburbs.

He's also expected to push for better roads and transport infrastructure to be built outside major cities as a way of easing cost of living pressures.

Mr Rudd will argue that Australia's outer suburbs will be central to the country's population and economic growth.

"They are home to almost three-quarters of all Australians - yet opportunities are not shared fairly across the different suburban areas in each city," he will say.

"The Labor government will ensure more of the jobs of the future are based in the suburbs of the future, improving the livability of our outer suburban regions."

The funding for the plan is already included in the federal budget, Labor says.

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Young women have more IVF success: study

ONE in two women aged under 35 will be rewarded with a baby if they persevere with assisted fertilisation attempts, according to a groundbreaking study.

But the chances of success drop dramatically after five tries.

The University of NSW (UNSW) study is the first in the world to track national success rates for IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and is based on 2011 statistics from 35 centres in Australia and New Zealand.

A major concern is the increasing number of older women seeking treatment, with limited success.

It is important for people to start planning their family at a younger age, says lead author UNSW Professor Elizabeth Sullivan.

Although fertility treatment can be useful, it is always best to conceive spontaneously if possible, says Prof Sullivan, whose study is included in an report to be presented at a Fertility Society of Australia scientific meeting on September 1.

The overall chance for all age groups of delivering a baby is 21 per cent after one cycle of treatment, increasing to 40 per cent by the fifth cycle.

When women aged 35 and older are removed from the statistics, the success rate jumps to more than 50 per cent after five attempts.

"This is a great result. It shows the benefit of getting treatment early," says Prof Sullivan.

Around one in 25 babies born in Australia are the result of assisted fertilisation, she says and the average age of women using their own eggs in 2011 was 36.

The fastest growing group is women aged 40 and older, making up 25 per cent of the clinics' clientele.

Prof Sullivan says although older women have a very low success rate using their own eggs, they usually manage as well as younger women using donor eggs.

Donor eggs are seldom used in Australia, however.

Prof Sullivan is particularly happy with the way Australia and New Zealand have led the way in reducing the number of multiple births through using single embryo transfers.

The percentage of multiple deliveries was at 6.9 per cent in 2011, compared with more than 25 per cent in 2010 in the US.

"Australia and New Zealand have the lowest multiple birth rate in the world," says Associate Professor Mark Bowman, a fertility doctor and the president of the Fertility Society of Australia.

"Importantly, this has been achieved while the clinic pregnancy rate has remained stable."

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Hockney aide killed by acid drink

AN assistant to British artist David Hockney died after drinking acid at the painter's home, an inquest has heard.

Dominic Elliott, 23, had taken cocaine, ecstasy and temazepam before he drank the liquid and was rushed to hospital, where he died.

Elliott became ill at Hockney's home in Bridlington, in East Yorkshire, in March.

The artist was not at home at the time.

Hockney's former long-term partner, John Fitzherbert, told the hearing in Hull that he drove Elliott to Scarborough Hospital in the early hours of the morning.

He said that during the day leading up to the incident he and Elliott had smoked cannabis and drunk alcohol and Elliott had also snorted cocaine.

A pathologist told the court that temazepam and ecstasy was also found in his body.

Dr Richard Shepherd said the acid severely burned Elliott's mouth, tongue and throat before perforating his stomach.

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UK government wins Snowden case

A BRITISH court has ruled the UK government may look through items seized from the partner of a journalist who has written stories about documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Lawyers for David Miranda, the partner of Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald, said the seized items contain confidential information. It asked the High Court to prevent the government from "inspecting, copying or sharing" the data.

Instead, the court will allow the government to view the items on the condition the material is being examined on "national security" grounds. The injunction runs until August 30.

It was not immediately clear whether the court or the government would be authorised to decide what is in the interests of national security.

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Fund for slain Aussie nears $US100,000

AN online fund set up by a mate of murdered Australian Chris Lane to help pay for funeral expenses has been deluged with almost $US100,000 ($A112,000) in donations from people around the world.

When Marshall Veal, who played baseball with Mr Lane in Oklahoma, set up the fund, the goal was to raise $US15,000.

The money was to be used to pay for the cost of Mr Lane's parents, Peter and Donna, to fly to Oklahoma, pick up his body and take it back to Melbourne for the funeral.

However, the generosity will likely make it possible to set up a Christopher Lane Foundation.

As of Thursday morning (Friday AEST), the fund, launched just two days ago, has raised $US91,500.

More than 2200 people have donated as little as $US5 to the fund and the messages left run the gamut of emotions, with some angry while others are heartbroken at the tragic way Mr Lane, 22, was shot in the back last Friday in Duncan, Oklahoma, and left to die.

"My sincerest regrets that Christopher was taken from you by these three vivid examples of America's trash," Jeff Simon wrote in a message following his $US5 donation.

"Don't judge us too harshly by the dregs of our society."

James Edwards, 15, and Chancey Luna, 16, have been charged with first degree murder.

It is alleged Luna fired the shot into Mr Lane's back as he jogged along a Duncan road.

Michael Jones, 17, was the alleged driver of the car and is charged with being an accessory to murder.

Oklahoma police allege the three boys randomly targeted Mr Lane because they were bored and thought it would be fun to kill him.

The online fund can be found at: www.gofundme.com/3zktjc

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