SYDNEY/CANBERRA (Reuters) -A highly pathogenic bird flu has been detected on an egg farm near Melbourne but it is not the same strain that has swept the globe and infected dairy cows in the United States, Australian authorities said on Wednesday.
The egg farm where the outbreak occurred has been put into quarantine after a number of poultry died, the agriculture ministry of the state of Victoria said.
Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke stated that initial laboratory tests indicate the virus is an unidentified H7 strain. It likely originated from the wild bird population and has been observed in Australia previously.
He said restrictions on movement had been imposed in the area around the farm and the birds would be destroyed.
“This area does have a high density of poultry businesses, both egg laying and poultry meat,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio.
“At this stage we can’t say whether there’ll be any onward spread to other properties. We are now taking measures necessary to stamp it out to remove any onward spread.”
He said the outbreak presented no risk to human health.
Since 1976, Australia has encountered nine instances of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The government swiftly contained and eradicated each outbreak, including the H7N7 strain in Victoria in 2020.
Authorities are implementing measures in response to the Australia bird flu outbreak to protect both poultry and public health. They are enforcing strict quarantine protocols to limit the movement of potentially infected birds and products.
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