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Sydney, June 20, 2024 — New South Wales (NSW) has reported a confirmed case of the highly contagious bird flu, known as avian influenza, marking the second Australian state to face an outbreak. Testing results confirmed the presence of the virus at a poultry farm in NSW on Wednesday.
This development follows closely on the heels of a recent outbreak in Victoria, where a sixth farm tested positive for the H7N3 strain, according to Xinhua news agency.
Tara Moriarty, NSW Minister for Agriculture, announced that the state government has enacted its emergency biosecurity incident plan in response to the detection of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI). The specific strain identified in NSW is H7N8, distinct from the H7N3 strain currently affecting Victoria. Authorities believe this incident may be a separate spill-over event, potentially originating from wild birds.
Given the highly pathogenic nature of the disease, which can spread rapidly and cause high mortality rates among poultry, the affected farm is now under immediate lockdown. Additionally, the NSW government has commenced its emergency animal disease response to contain the spread.
“NSW consumers should not be concerned about eggs and poultry products from the supermarkets,” assured Moriarty. “This detection does not pose a risk to consumer health, and the products are safe to consume if they are handled and cooked as per standard food handling practices.”
Despite these assurances, the bird flu outbreak has already impacted supply chains. Australia’s major supermarket chain, Coles, has implemented a cap on egg purchases since last week due to a shortage. Notices posted in a Sydney Coles store on Wednesday indicated a temporary limit of two items per customer or transaction, aiming to manage the reduced supply.
The situation remains under close watch as both NSW and Victorian authorities work to mitigate the spread and impact of avian influenza on the poultry industry and consumers.
