Australia is "encased by a ring of fire" with modelling by international experts showing Asia to be the most likely source of the next global infectious disease outbreak.

The panel of biosecurity and infectious disease experts also warn that a "fortress Australia" approach is not enough to stop bio-threats entering the country.

Instead Australia must also help develop the region's capacity to deal with and prevent infectious disease outbreaks, they say.

The presentation came ahead of today's launch, by the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, of the Biosecurity Risk Intelligence Scanning Committee.

Committee chair Professor John Edwards, Dean of the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at Murdoch University, says the group aims to predict emerging threats and inform research priorities.

Edwards says greater attention needs to be given to animal viruses as up to 70% have zoonotic potential - can be passed to humans.