Queensland claims world first on bird flu Queensland scientists have taken a pre-emptive strike against the new H7N9 strain of bird flu. They've modified the current influenza swab test to check for the virus. "We believe there is no similar screening test incorporating the H7N9 strain in Australia - this is an Australian first," Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said. The work was done by Pathology Queensland's Microbiology Department and the Queensland Paediatric Infectious Disease Laboratory, both located at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Professor Graeme Nimmo, Director of Microbiology Pathology Queensland, said the test was an essential part of getting ready for any potential bird flu pandemic. "It allows cases to be detected very rapidly, enabling treatment to commence in as short a possible time, limiting the spread of the disease and the impact on the community," he said. The H7N9 strain has only been detected in Eastern China and Taiwan, and is not yet transferable from human to human. A total of 131 cases have been confirmed, with 33 deaths.