THE Cook Government says surveillance for H5 bird flu will be enhanced together with targeted engagement with the poultry industry, veterinarians and wildlife carers due to the first Australian case of the highly infectious virus confirmed in WA.
According to the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) bird flu mainly affects birds but it can also affect other animals and on rare occasions humans.
DAFF said infected birds can spread the virus through body fluids, droppings and feathers and in the right conditions, the virus can survive in the environment for months.
In a statement the state government said importantly, there had been no detections in poultry and there was no evidence of other mortalities currently but people were being advised to take steps to keep pets away from wildlife, including preventing cats from roaming and keeping dogs on leads in wildlife areas.
“If you own, care for, or work with birds, you should prevent wild birds from mingling with your birds (or) accessing their feed and water, keep pens, aviaries, feeders and equipment clean, wash your hands thoroughly with soap before and after handling birds and monitor birds for signs of disease or sudden deaths,’’ the statement said.
Testing by CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed the highly infectious bird flu in a brown skua, found in the remote Cape Le Grand area, east of Esperance.
The brown skua is a subantarctic species rarely seen on the WA south coast.
“The results are consistent with the strain of virus detected in the Southern Indian Ocean Sub-Antarctic Territories including Heard Island,’’ the statement said.
“A sick giant petrel found in the area has also been confirmed positive for H5 avian influenza by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) diagnostic laboratory services (with) further testing (to) be undertaken by ACDP to determine the strain.’’
Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis said everyone had an important role in protecting wildlife, poultry and other animals against H5 bird flu.
“Our poultry producers understand that on-farm biosecurity practices are crucial to protect the health of their flocks and are well prepared to minimise any impact on production,’’ she said.
“Anyone who sees sick or dead birds or marine mammals should not handle the animals but should take photos or a video and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
“We are very grateful to the wildlife carer at Esperance who followed our biosecurity protocols to report the sick brown skua and facilitate the testing for H5 bird flu so we can respond quickly.
“Importantly this shows Western Australia’s preparedness measures, and our work with community and industry partners, has worked.”
Opposition Agriculture and Food spokesman and Central Wheatbelt MLA Lachlan Hunter said the serious biosecurity development would be closely watched by producers and regional communities across WA.
“Today’s confirmation of H5 avian influenza in a wild bird near Esperance is a significant development for WA and one that will understandably concern our poultry, egg and broader agricultural industries,” he said.
“My immediate thoughts are with producers, processors and regional communities who will be closely monitoring developments over the coming days and weeks.
“At this stage, authorities have advised there is no evidence of infection in commercial poultry flocks and no evidence of mass mortality events.
“That is welcome news, but the situation remains serious and requires continued vigilance.”
Mr Hunter said the state’s strong biosecurity systems would be critical in managing the response.
“This detection highlights the importance of maintaining strong biosecurity measures and robust surveillance systems to protect WA’s agricultural industries and unique wildlife.”
Scientists at the CSIRO ACDP took part in a recent study, the most comprehensive to date, to provide a clearer picture of bird flu dynamics in Australia’s wild birds.
In Understanding bird flu dynamics in Australia CSIRO said the study identified the virus strains present and how they spread by sequencing the largest number of Australian wild bird avian influenza virus genomes since sampling began in 2006.
One thing the study found was that while they carried avian influenza less frequently than species of ducks the virus strains could be carried into Australia by small, migratory shorebirds.
The community can assist by reporting any dead or sick birds or marine mammals to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Further information about H5 bird flu is available at birdflu.gov.au
