Inghams expands Australian poultry farm lockdowns
Sydney (3 August)
Australia’s largest poultry producer, Inghams, has expanded its lockdown of poultry farms and processing plants to address H5N1 flu-related biosecurity risks, a company spokesperson confirmed to Lithos on 2 August.
It continues to maintain strict biosecurity protocols to handle potential risks, a company spokesperson said. But Australian producers have not detected any H5N1 outbreaks in poultry since the virus began to spread among wild birds in late June.
Inghams closed its Western Australian farms and processing plants to non-essential workers on 22 June, in response to two H5N1 detections in wild, migratory birds. The company continues to supply chicken to the Australian market as usual, it told investors at the time.
Inghams’ confirmation of expanded lockdowns comes one day after authorities discovered 49 dead birds off the coast of South Australia (SA), where the company runs a poultry farm. Authorities are investigating whether the birds died from the H5N1 flu, SA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions said on 1 August.
Australia has recorded 62 confirmed or suspected cases of H5N1 since late June, Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth Cookson said on 2 August. The virus has infected birds across five states. But it has spread most widely in SA, infecting 42 birds, data from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry show.
Australian authorities initially detected H5N1 in migratory seabirds passing through coastal areas. But the virus has spread between multiple local birds in SA, the Australian Government’s Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases found on 30 July.
H5N1’s spread among local bird populations could lead to an increased number of infections and deaths, according to the Government.
H5N1 outbreaks pose a major threat to poultry producers. The virus has a mortality rate of 75% - 100% in poultry and some wild birds, according to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Government has urged poultry farmers to review their biosecurity plans, limit contact between wild birds and kept birds, and prevent contamination of food sources and equipment.
By Avinash Govind