Latest news with #fireant
ABC News
5 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
University staff criticised for fire ant treatment and vaccine misinformation
The University of Queensland has defended its academics who have pushed conspiracy theories and misinformation around fire ant treatments and vaccines. It comes as Australia's fire ant authorities slam comments by UQ researcher Conny Turni as "ignorant" and "misinformation". Dr Turni said she believed the chemicals used in fire ant bait caused an estrogenic effect in humans and harmed "all living things", claims which have been debunked by Australia's pesticide regulator. Dr Turni told the ABC she believed the National Fire Ant Eradication Program was denying the human health harms of fire ant treatments to make money. "They will dispute that because they want to do this, they're getting money to do this, and they only get money to do this if they call it eradication," Dr Turni said. "We have been labelled conspiracy theorists because we've been speaking out." Dr Turni has also co-authored anti-vaccination papers with two other University of Queensland researchers, Dr Peter Parry and Dr Nick Hudson. None of them are medical researchers. Dr Turni specialises in agricultural microbiology, Dr Parry in child psychiatry, and Dr Hudson in agricultural metabolic biochemistry. One of their joint papers is co-authored with Children's Health Defense, a widely discredited American anti-vaccine group. Dr Turni has spoken at several conspiracy theory rallies, including The People's Revolution and Stop The Toxic Fire Ant Program. A University of Queensland spokesperson said the university did not necessarily share the views of its staff. "This means that views expressed by academic staff do not always reflect those of the university, or the broader research community." The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has deemed fire ant bait safe for humans and other mammals, given its extremely low dosages of insect growth regulator (IGR) chemicals. National Fire Ant Program general manager Marni Manning said Dr Turni's claims were not supported by credible science. Ms Manning said there was no evidence that the chemicals used in fire ant bait were harmful to humans, birds, or mammals, given the low dosages used in Australia. Ms Manning said the University of Queensland should consider what impact Dr Turni was having on its reputation as an academic institution. "I'm at a loss for words. I find it irresponsible and it's actually quite ignorant of what the program is doing," Ms Manning said. "It's a question for the University of Queensland — are they concerned about this reputationally?" Invasive Species Council advocacy manager Reece Pianta said Dr Turni was not a medical expert nor an expert in fire ant treatment. "I understand this academic is speaking outside their normal field of expertise they mainly publish in," Mr Pianta said. "Everyone has a right to an opinion, but people reading that opinion need to keep in mind they need to seek opinions that are strongly based in peer-reviewed science from field experts. "Misinformation does risk slowing down fire ant eradication, delaying action, making it harder for officials to access properties to do the work they need to do." The paper, co-authored by UQ's Dr Turni, Dr Parry and Dr Hudson, contains several citations to non-medical papers, including articles from Substack blogs, Wikipedia, and conspiracy theory websites. It also contains citations to the widely discredited medical journal the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. In a separate anti-vaccine paper, Dr Parry said "DNA vaccine technology" had allowed the government to "engineer social control of entire populations". "Manipulation and repression of data, and censorship of contrarian evidence-based opinion, even if well-intentioned, have created an historic public health disaster," Dr Parry wrote. "Failure of authorities to act may represent the phenomenon of 'wilful blindness' to the red flags of surveillance. "We must open our eyes to this global tragedy." Royal Australian College of General Practitioners quality care chair Mark Morgan said medical journals had a responsibility not to publish vaccine misinformation. "There are strong moral and ethical reasons to be very careful that medical publications present information that is accurate and unbiased," Professor Morgan said. "The stakes are much higher in healthcare than in other debates.
ABC News
16-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Southern Cross University under fire for giving research funding to conspiracy theorist Trevor Hold
Southern Cross University is providing research funding to a conspiracy theorist who has wrongly claimed fire ant bait causes ADHD, autism, and low fertility in humans. The university has confirmed it has allocated funding to Trevor Hold, an organic cattle farmer, who has spread misinformation about Australia's fire ant treatment program. Mr Hold is an administrator for Stop The Toxic Fire Ant Program, an activist group that incorrectly claims fire ant bait kills birds, bees, cows, and dogs. The national fire ant authority says Mr Hold and other members of the group have harassed their workers and obstructed them from entering properties to treat fire ants. A university spokesperson said the university had allocated $7,500 to Mr Hold for his assistance in field trials and for the use of his "Fire Ant Soup Machine", which involves spraying hot water onto fire ant nests using a machine invented in Florida and licensed in Australia by Mr Hold. Southern Cross University entomologist Nigel Andrew said Mr Hold initiated the research trial into the efficacy of the alternative "chemical-free" treatment. However, the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and the Invasive Species Council have described this method as less effective, less reliable, and less affordable than the current treatments. Invasive Species Council advocacy manager Reece Pianta said he was concerned the university was partnering with Mr Hold instead of a reputable institution. "I think it's really important that the community looks for trusted sources for advice on this, and understands the way these things are being applied." Mr Pianta refuted claims by Mr Hold that the Invasive Species Council was being paid off by "pro-chemical places" to promote the fire ant eradication program. Mr Pianta said he was "surprised" that Professor Andrew, a prominent entomologist, was involving himself with Mr Hold. National Fire Ant Eradication Program general manager Marni Manning said Stop The Toxic Fire Ant Program had directed threats and abuse at her workers. Ms Manning said Mr Hold, and others in his group, were spreading "dangerous misinformation" about the safety of their fire ant treatments. She said previous studies on hot water treatments had shown limited effectiveness. "We have extensively explored what is being tested by the university, and we have found the eradication effectiveness to be very low," Ms Manning said. "Often it won't reach the queen, so you may have disturbed or dismantled the nest temporarily, but you have not actually eradicated that nest, and it will come back very quickly." Ms Manning refuted claims by Professor Andrew that they were "killing off pretty much everything" by spraying the insecticide Fipronil onto properties six times per year. She said there was no evidence that the insect growth regulators used in ant bait, pyriproxyfen and S-methoprene, were harming Australian birds, humans, or other mammals. Professor Andrew said he acknowledged there was no evidence that insect growth regulators harmed humans, but he believed "chemicals should be used as a last resort" to treat fire ants. "They feel disenfranchised, they feel there are problems, they've identified what they see as problems, and they need to be listened to." Professor Andrew has appeared in videos with conspiracy theorist Sarah McGuire, who runs the business Fire Ant Treatment Alternatives Page. Ms McGuire told the ABC that Professor Andrew was aware of her views before he agreed to go on camera. Both Ms McGuire and Mr Hold have made money from their activist activities, charging landholders for signs, posters, advocacy fees, and fake legal notices. Both have claimed, without evidence, that fire ant authorities are pushing a chemical-based eradication agenda in order to continue receiving state and federal government funding. Contacted for comment on the university funding, Mr Hold said the ABC was "controlled media" that refused to report on "the truth" because it received federal government funding. "The stories you're making are one-sided and making us out to be a mob of bloody lunatics."
