Australia has officially eradicated the bird flu strain that caused egg shortages and disrupted supply chains nationwide.
Outbreaks in Victoria, New South Wales, and the ACT led to the culling of hundreds of thousands of birds to contain the virus.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed that the national emergency response eliminated the H7 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and Australia has now declared itself free from the disease to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The government has pledged over $1 billion to strengthen Australia’s biosecurity system over the next four years, marking the first time Australia will have long-term, sustainable funding to protect agriculture, the environment, and public health.
Although Australia has eliminated the recent outbreaks, a global threat remains with a bird flu strain spreading through migratory birds.
While this variant, H5 HPAI, has not been detected in Australia, authorities are remaining cautious.
“The rapid spread of H5 bird flu, which has killed not only birds but also mammals across the globe, means we cannot be complacent,” Collins said.
Health experts, such as Frank Wong, an expert with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), said the risk of H5N1 reaching Australia remains low because migratory ducks and geese primarily carry bird flu viruses over long distances, and Australia is not within their flight paths.
“However, the risk has slightly increased due to H5N1’s ability to infect more wild bird species,” he said.
Major Funding Boost for Bird Flu Preparedness
In response, the Albanese government has announced a $100 million investment to enhance surveillance, improve preparedness, and boost response capabilities.On Oct 14. 2024, an additional $95 million was committed, adding to the $6.9 million announced in July.
Of this, $37 million will be spent over two years to enhance national coordination, increase biosecurity capacity, and strengthen surveillance.
Another $35.9 million will improve H5 bird flu preparedness using advanced data analysis to protect at-risk species and vulnerable ecosystems.
A further $22.1 million will be dedicated to manufacturing and storing pandemic influenza vaccines, ensuring Australia can respond rapidly to a potential outbreak.
