Avian flu spreads in South Australia, New South Wales
Sydney (8 July)
One migratory bird in South Australia (SA) has tested positive for the high-mortality H5 bird flu, and another may be infected with the virus, according to biosecurity officials in the state.
“H5 bird flu has not been detected in commercial poultry or captive birds in [SA], and it has not become established anywhere in Australia,” the state’s Minister for Primary Industries, Clare Scriven, said on 7 July.
“[SA] has invested heavily in surveillance, testing and response planning so we’re ready to act quickly [to the outbreak],” Scriven added.
Migratory birds in New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA) have also tested positive for H5 in recent weeks. But there is no evidence of any mass mortality events, and the risk to human health remains low, the Australian Government said on 7 July.
The NSW Government activated its H5 Bird Flu Response Plan and increased monitoring on 6 July – after a confirmed detection on 5 July – the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said at the time. Officials in the state have never previously detected the H5 avian flu, according to the NSW Ministry of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
H5 outbreaks pose a major threat to poultry producers. The virus has infected 207 million American birds across 1023 backyard flocks and 1028 commercial flocks since February 2022, data from the US Department of Agriculture show.
Outbreaks also pushed up American retail egg prices by about 9% in 2024, according to estimates from researchers at the University of Arkansas.
But Australian poultry producers have not detected the H1 avian flu. Inghams – the country’s largest poultry producer – has closed its farms and processing plants to non-essential workers as a precautionary measure, it said in late June.
The company has requested permission from Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer to temporarily house free-range chickens indoors at its WA farms, without adjusting its product labels, it added.
By Avinash Govind