Australia bird flu: Victoria industry calls case a 'distant concern'
Australia's poultry industry said the first H5 bird flu case detected last week in Western Australia does not pose an immediate threat to Victoria. The sector emphasised that strict biosecurity measures remain in place. Several states are still keeping hatchery sites under close watch.
ABC News Australia reported that Tony Nesci, poultry chair at the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), said the H5 case detected last week by a vet at Esperance beach in Western Australia is not a direct threat to Victoria.
"Strict in-barn biosecurity and physical barriers separating sheds from outdoor habitat mean our industry is well placed," Nesci said, adding the sector has learned from the limited Victoria-centred H7 cases of 2024. The number of sheds equipped with culling capacity has doubled in three years.
Australia's Department of Agriculture confirmed the Esperance case was an isolated wild-bird detection. State veterinarians have nonetheless raised the biosecurity surveillance level across the country to "enhanced" as a precaution. ABC said Australia's poultry industry, valued at AUD 3.4 billion, is targeting record exports this year.
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