Jayb,

"Why does Australia have to be involved on the ground? We can do much better in the Laboratory here. Something which Australia is very good at."

Well, it's funny that you should bring that up, because not only is the Abbott Govt tardy in its actions to assist the world in tackling Ebola at its source, it also decided to target Australian Ebola scientists in its "let's cull the CSIRO" crusade.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/researchers-hunting-ebola-cure-scrapped-under-budget-cuts/5669842

"Australian research into a vaccine for the deadly Ebola virus will suffer as a result of federal budget cuts, CSIRO staff say.

The Federal Government has cut more than $110 million from the research organisation's budget and as a result up to eight researchers will lose their jobs at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Victoria.

Scientists at the facility are trying to find a vaccine for Ebola, that has killed hundreds of people in West Africa since an outbreak began in February.

The researchers at the AAHL had recently acquired a live strain of the virus that had swept through the region."

http://cpsu-csiro.org.au/2014/08/13/csiro-to-cut-research-into-infectious-disease-and-biosecurity/

"Government cuts to science are set to hit CSIRO’s ground-breaking research into infectious disease with up to eight researchers at Geelong’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) set to lose their jobs."

"The high-containment facility is home to important research that is critical to protecting Australia from Avian Influenza, SARS and the Hendra virus.

“These latest cuts to CSIRO are particularly illogical and short-sighted.” said CSIRO Staff Association Secretary Sam Popovski.

“AAHL has a world-class reputation for research into zoonotic diseases ; viruses that can be passed from animals to humans. This is terrible news for hardworking researchers who are dedicated to keeping Australians – indeed the world’s population – safe from illness.” Mr Popovski said."

otb,

The Abbott Govt was busy tooting its Iraq horn and ratcheting up its terror hysteria...and thought it could shrug off requests for assistance by the rest of the world in confronting Ebola.

It found it couldn't in all good conscience do that.

So "now" it is looking into risk management for medical teams.

Poirot: with up to eight researchers at Geelong’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) set to lose their jobs."

That'll make all the Greenies, PC's & PETA happy won't it.

Jayb, I am unsure whether your ignorance is real or feigned. I am not sure how anyone with a modicum of knowledge could make the post you did.

The Animal Health Laboratories spend their efforts in understanding and managing animal diseases.

Agro: I am unsure whether your ignorance is real or feigned.

Opps! I thought it was a place where they used animals for experiments. Another look & I can see I had the bull by the horns. Apologies to poirot as well.

Poirot, "(Government) is looking into risk management for medical teams"

Pleased to hear that, a comprehensive risk assessment is required and a risk management plan, which would I hope to made available to informed medical and scientific experts for consultation.

It would not be reasonable to send volunteers without that in place.

A knee-jerk reaction as demanded by the Greens for example would have been fraught with all sorts of problems. Like a mob of helpers arriving at a chemical fire and all rushing in, resulting in multiplication of injuries that have to be handled, and all back to square one.

Onthebeach, you neglected to post the next comment on my other post re Ebola :
"It is in ours, and other large countries interests, to send medical help to these war-torn, 3rd world areas so we can fight this sort of infection before it gets to us."

At no time did I suggest we shouldn't worry about Ebola because we will have a vaccine soon.....because it may take awhile.
Until that time, we can't ignore the threat.

Who better than the Australian Medical Association to tell the Government how to go forward in this issue?
They have done this on numerous occasions, and this Government, like you, think they know better than the doctors!
Pure ignorance.

Who will they run to when the faecal matter ( with Ebola bugs insitu) hits the fan here in Australia? The medical professionals and scientists....