Victoria’s agricultural department on May 22 advised that they had placed an egg farm into quarantine with staff on-site conducting investigations, after detecting bird flu.
“Preliminary testing has confirmed the presence of avian influenza virus at an egg farm near Meredith,” Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke said.
“Agriculture Victoria is responding with staff on the ground supporting the business with further laboratory investigations as necessary.”
After a number of poultry deaths, samples have been sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) away, to identify the strain of bird flu, the department stated.
Nine outbreaks of HPAI have occurred on poultry farms in Australia between 1976 and 2021.
State and Commonwealth governments have worked with the poultry industries to control and eradicate outbreaks, with surveillance of both domestic and wild birds being a key part of the response.
Human Infections
The spread of avian influenza from birds to people is rare but may occur with some strains of the virus if there is close contact with infected birds or their droppings, or with heavily contaminated environments.“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,” Agriculture Victoria said.
Infected individuals have experienced mild symptoms or have been asymptomatic, though some cases have resulted in severe illness.
The department said that consuming cooked chicken meat or eggs would not lead to infection, but recommended practicing good personal hygiene when handling birds.
Bird owners are also advised to “ensure their footwear is clean, always wash hands before and after handling birds or eggs, and quarantine new birds before integrating with existing ones.”
