Bird flu has been detected at a second farm in western Victoria, 130km west of the farm where 400,000 chickens are being euthanised after the outbreak was first detected.
The farm in Terang is linked to the Meredith egg farm, about 40km north-west of Geelong, where the mass chicken cull and disposal is taking place after an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7N3 strain of avian influenza.
Agriculture Victoria said officers had extended control orders to include a 1.5km restricted area around the Terang farm, in addition to the 5km restricted area around the Meredith farm. Both properties are also subject to a broader control area buffer.
The strain at both properties was not the same as the H5N1 strain which had been wreaking havoc globally, Victoria’s chief veterinarian, Graeme Cooke, said.
“The strain of the virus detected near Meredith is H7N3, which is different from the H5N1 avian influenza strain that’s impacting the US and other parts of the world,” Cooke said.
“While 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.”
On Wednesday, a child was confirmed as Australia’s first human case of the H5N1 variant spreading around the world.
The child, who returned to Victoria from India in March, experienced a “severe infection” after contracting the strain but had made a full recovery, and contact tracing had not identified any further cases.
The H5N1 strain had yet to be detected in birds in Australia.
Dr Joanne Sillince, the acting chief executive of the Australian Chicken Growers’ Council, said the H7N3 strain in Terang and Meredith was “the devil we know” for Australian poultry farmers, whereas the H5N1 strain causing global destruction was “the devil we don’t”. The latter, she said, was much more worrying for producers.
Sillince said Australia was fortunate in that its egg and chicken production areas were siloed from each other, which may slow the spread of a potential outbreak.
The managing director of peak body Australian Eggs, Rowan McMonnies, praised the operators of the Meredith farm for raising the alarm quickly, saying “early reporting, quarantine and decontamination puts us in the best position to eradicate this virus”.
Meanwhile, in Western Australia, biosecurity measures had been tightened on a poultry farm in the state’s south-west after a third, unrelated strain of avian influenza was found.
Authorities said the WA detection was a low pathogenic H9N2 strain and not connected to the Victorian outbreak.
“H9 strains of avian influenza are known to occur in wild bird populations in Australia and have previously been detected in WA,” the state’s acting chief veterinarian Katie Webb said.
“The property is currently under a pest control notice to manage the movement of relevant animals and products off the property.”
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral infection which 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.
Australian Associated Press contributed to this report.
