Australia-wide the effects of a significant avian influenza (bird flu) outbreak are beginning to be felt – from poultry professionals to punters.
Eleven farms have been infected with avian influenza across New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT since May 2024. All of these farms detected strains of H7 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), a highly contagious bird flu, causing a high mortality rate in production birds. While the H7 strains do not appear to transmit easily between humans it is causing devastation across farms, with over 1.8 million birds already destroyed.
The Australian government reports that a nationally agreed response plan to control and eradicate HPAI is being implemented. Highlighting that the H7 virus rarely affects humans and that there are no food safety issues identified with infected chicken products.
Financial Support Lacking for Decimated Farms
Poultry business owners are facing a grim recovery period in the wake of the outbreak, with limited financial support available.
Linda Fahy of Agriculture Victoria’s south-west region stated that farmers impacted by emergency diseases can receive compensation for culling livestock. However, there is no further government financial support available for businesses facing extended periods without income while their flocks rebuild.
“Unfortunately, disaster recovery funding arrangements don’t apply to biosecurity emergencies,” Ms Fahy said.
“There is no compensation for consequential loss, loss of market or production loss.
“Farmers and businesses might have individual [private] insurance arrangements including income protection.”
Infected farms are not only losing their stock but are also required to be quarantined for at least 3 months.
“Every farm is different, [quarantine time] depends on size and scale,” Dr Graeme Cooke, Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, said.
“The first stage is to remove the infected birds and prevent the spread and then the farms go through a period of cleaning and disinfection — then they need to be empty for a period of time as well.
“The shortest possible time is three to four months, but in many cases, it may be much longer than that due to the scale of the operation required.”
Farmers are compensated by the state government for birds that are killed during the eradication and quarantine period. However, no assistance is available for lost production and business activity.
Concerns for Wider Bird Industry Spread
Bird shows have been cancelled across the East Coast as poultry fanciers and backyard breeders come to terms with the spread of the deadly avian influenza.
The Mudgee Poultry and Pigeon Club have cancelled two events this July, joining a growing list of cancellations.
Ian Birchall, secretary of the Mudgee Poultry and Pigeon Club, said he was worried about the potential for avian influenza to be found in a show bird, possibly leading to the euthanasing of all birds at the event.
“There were 70 exhibitors at our last show and whether they’ve had their birds for one year or, like my mum who’s had the line there for 80 years … the club doesn’t want to put those people at risk,” he said.
The Central West Bird Club has also cancelled its annual expo and sale, which was scheduled for Forbes in three weeks.
In the Act, the Government has asked everyone in the Belconnen area to register their birds in an attempt to contain and monitor the spread. ACT Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti said a second ACT case was found by a pet chicken owner.
ACT Chief Veterinary Officer Kyeelee Driver said registration would establish how many domestic birds were in the area and where they were.
“We have acted quickly in response to this detection and believe there is a very low risk of spread to other poultry in the ACT from this site,” she said.
Bird Flu Affecting Breakfast Menus
Bird flu has affected fewer than 10% of Australia’s egg-laying hens but, some businesses have already started imposing limits on how many eggs people can buy.
Last month Coles limited egg purchases to two cartons per customer in all stores across the country except Western Australia. With Woolworths and Costco following suit.
McDonald’s restaurants around the country announced via social media in early July that it has temporarily shortened the hours of its breakfast service, in response to potential egg shortages.
H5N1 Threatens to Join Australian Outbreak
Compounding the confusion and strain of the current outbreak is the increasing possibility that the H5N1 strain of bird flu would reach Australia.
The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) recently announced that the deadly strain that crosses species is ‘likely’ to arrive in Australia this spring. The H5N1 strain last caused pandemonium in 2005 when a large outbreak sprouted contingency plans worldwide.
More recently the H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in more than 100 dairy herds across at least 12 states in the US, with the Colorado Public Health Department confirming human cases of the strain in poultry workers.
“…both globally, and in Australia, avian flu is having a significant impact,” said Dr Deborah Eagles, from the ACDP.
“This has now impacted all continents except for Australia, and that does include Antarctica and has caused deaths of poultry, wild birds, and a range of mammalian species. Both industry and government agencies in Australia across agriculture, health and environment are all preparing for the potential introduction of H5N1 into Australia.”
At the time of writing, none of the strains being detected around Australia have been the H5N1 strain.
Sources: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), ABC, ABC, SBS News, outbreak.gov.au, Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Agriculture Victoria, CNBC, The Conversation, McDonaldsAU Facebook