Attributable to the acting Chair of Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases and acting Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Sam Hamilton:
The Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases (CCEAD) met yesterday, following two additional suspect detections of H5 bird flu in migratory sea birds in NSW and Western Australia, to discuss the current situation and appropriate response activities.
State and territory governments are responsible for surveillance and response activities on the ground. They are actively working with industries to provide guidance on implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures, as appropriate.
CCEAD discussed practical precautionary measures, given the suspect detections in new locations in NSW and WA and endorsed an approach at this time involving heightened flock biosecurity.
This includes options for states and territories to utilise non-mandatory measures including advising commercial poultry producers to house free-range birds where practical while maintaining animal welfare.
This is a time-limited approach while further evidence of the risk of H5 bird flu is sought through enhanced national surveillance.
CCEAD will review this advice within two weeks.
There have only been detections in migratory seabirds that occasionally visit Australia.
There remains no evidence of any mass mortality events and there are no detections in poultry or in our agricultural production system.
The risk to human health remains low.
If you see sick or dead birds or other animals, do not touch them. Avoid contact. Record what you see. Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia.
Poultry producers are reminded that on-farm biosecurity practices are crucial to protect the health of their flocks. Further information on poultry biosecurity can be found at: Poultry and livestock farmers and bird flu.
