Second farm returns positive test for deadly bird flu as 400,000 cull continues
Bird flu has been detected at a second Victorian farm as authorities remain on high alert for further outbreaks.
The case of Avian influenza (H7N3) was confirmed at a property in Terang, 200km southwest of Melbourne, on Thursday.
The site is linked to the Meredith egg farm, 130km away, where a mass culling of 400,000 chickens is taking place after a number of poultry died from the same virus.
Both farms share management, staff and machinery.
Agriculture Victoria said the Terang property was under quarantine and officers had extended control orders to include a 1.5km restricted area.
A 5km restricted area has been placed around the Meredith farm and both sites are subject to a broader control area buffer.
āWe encourage the community to play their part so we can suppress and eliminate this outbreak,ā Victoriaās chief veterinarian Graeme Cooke said.
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āPoultry owners who reside within the restricted and control areas are asked to follow the restrictions and to report any unexplained bird deaths.
āWhile cases among humans in direct contact with animals infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are possible, the current risk to the public remains low.ā
In WA, biosecurity measures have been tightened at a poultry farm in the stateās southwest after an unrelated strain of avian influenza was found.
Authorities say the WA detection is a H9N2 strain and not connected to the Victorian outbreak.
āH9 strains of avian influenza are known to occur in wild bird populations in Australia and have previously been detected in WA,ā the stateās acting chief vet Katie Webb said.
āThe property is currently under a pest control notice to manage the movement of relevant animals and products off the property.ā
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On Wednesday, a child was confirmed as Australiaās first human case of a lethal strain of avian influenza spreading around the world.
The child, who returned to Victoria from India in March, experienced a āsevere infectionā after contracting the H5N1 strain but has made a full recovery, Victoriaās chief health officer Clare Looker confirmed.
Authorities say contact tracing has not identified any further cases.
The Victorian detection of avian influenza has put egg farmers on high alert across Australia.
āAny biosecurity outbreak becomes concerning to us as farmers,ā egg farmer and Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president Danyel Cucinotta told AAP.
Ms Cucinotta said Australiaās poultry industry faced a recurring risk of avian influenza.
āWe are on a wild bird flight path, especially from Southeast Asia, and that just means weāre at a higher risk all the time,ā she said.
The Victorian egg farmer said producers were taking extra precautions.
āAnything coming into the farm, such as trucks, could bring in disease. It could be people. It could be packaging, it could be pellets,ā she said.
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause severe symptoms and sudden death in domestic poultry, wiping out entire populations.
Wild birds are the natural host for the disease and it can spread through close contact or contaminated environments.
Authorities have reassured the public that eggs and poultry products in supermarkets do not pose a risk and are safe to consume.
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