Bird flu in Australia: Experts confront looming bird flu threat to wildlife

More than a million chickens and ducks have been culled since late May in NSW and Victoria due to bird flu. Photo / 123RF

As Australia manages its own bird flu outbreak, another threat lurks offshore where a different strain of the virus is causing deaths among wildlife.

Some of the nation’s top disease experts are meeting to discuss Australia’s bird flu outbreak that has smashed egg supply and forced mass slaughter of animals.

NSW and Victorian farms plus domestic properties in the ACT have been quarantined after detection of the virus, with authorities on the lookout for more cases.

More than one million chickens and ducks have been culled since late May and limits imposed on egg sales in some states.

On Monday the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness is addressing the nation’s handling of cases, plus the threat of more devastating overseas bird flu strains.

The H5 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza has impacted marine mammals including sea lions, dolphins and otters in some countries in recent years.

The federal Government in recent weeks committed $7 million to boost Australia’s readiness for the virus, which is different to the one affecting Australian poultry farms.

Debbie Eagles has been director of the centre since March and along with colleague and World Health Organisation for Animal Health avian influenza expert Dr Frank Wong, will answer questions about the threats.

Speaking recently about foreign strains of the virus, Wong said its already on Australia’s doorstep.

“Given that this virus has now infected a very large number of different species to different impacts, there is that potential that there are bridging species that could bring the virus into Australia,” he told Cosmos Magazine.