THE spread of an avian influenza strain in wild birds across Australia has led to calls from the nation’s peak agricultural body for farmers to check and update their biosecurity plans.
Late last month, the first cases of local transmission of H5N1 bird flu were detected in wild animals.
At the same time, there are fears of spread from Australian birds to sea mammals after the virus was detected close to a sea lion colony on Kangaroo Island.
In South America the infection jumped from birds to sea lions, killing 30,000 pups.
National Farmers’ Federation CEO Mike Guerin said there were positive and negative takeaways from recent updates.
“Unfortunately, this is a turning point in the spread of this disease,” he said.
“We take comfort in the fact there’s been no mass mortality events, and there have been no detections in agriculture.
“But while this outbreak is currently a concern for wildlife, now is the time for all farmers to review their biosecurity plans.
“Bird flu poses a serious threat to poultry, as well as a much smaller cross-species risk across livestock industries.
“It’s imperative that farmers record accurate people and animal movements in their biosecurity plans and look for ways to reduce risks.”
As of early August, almost 30 cases of H5N1 had been reported in the local wild bird population in Australia, including 40 in SA, and two in New South Wales.
Mr Guerin said biosecurity measures, both on-farm and across the nation, have been informed by other recent outbreaks.
“We continue to advocate for the strengthening of Australia’s biosecurity systems,” he said.
“We’ll keep working closely with government and our members to monitor the situation and support a coordinated national response.
“Industry and Government have both invested heavily for years to prepare for this, and have learned lessons from outbreaks of other strains, including H7.”
H5N1 bird flu was first detected in the late 1990s, with the current outbreak getting underway about a year ago.
Recent cases have spread across the globe, mostly in wild birds, but there have been situations where it’s infected poultry and other livestock, as well as humans.
Farmers are being asked to report sick birds or animals to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888, and for more information visit birdflu.gov.au.