Children Warned To Be On Lookout for 'My Sick Pelican'

The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service is undertaking an interesting educational initiative :

Australia's quarantine watchdog has turned to children's books to help stop the spread of bird flu into the country.

The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service has commissioned two Torres Strait women to write and illustrate a book called My Sick Pelican.

The book will be circulated through Torres Strait schools to help children identify sick birds.

AQIS risk monitoring manager Andrew Moss says residents are the frontline in helping to prevent the spread of avian diseases.

"To be able to deliver quarantine effectively there you need good community support," he said.

"The community is made up of children as well as adults and this is just another method among many to get quarantine measures into the community, so you've got good awareness at all levels."

The Torres Straits islands are situated at the very top of Australia, off north Queensland, and is seen as a 'gateway' for birds migrating from South East Asia into the country.