If the virus can live in water for up to 18 days and the flu is in NSW, what is the risk of the flu reaching SA via the Murray River?
In the river itself, the dilution factor is enormous, so the risk of contracting the virus directly from the Murray River is negligible. The virus survives best in stationary water with organic matter (eg mucus) to protect it. It could survive in water from an infected property in a small container. Many horse owners take their own water with them when traveling; it’s within these smaller containers (ie, 60-80 litres) that the virus can survive.
