Third suspected case of bird flu found in WA’s South West as PNG halts poultry imports

A third bird is suspected to have tested positive for the highly infectious H5 strain of bird flu in WA, as the disease spread to another mainland state threatening the poultry industry,

WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis, on Wednesday, confirmed the result of preliminary testing of a migratory sea bird found in the Quindalup area.

It comes after Papua New Guinea suspended imports of Australian poultry and eggs after the virus was initially detected in two seabirds in WA last week and the first case of bird flu was confirmed in South Australia.

Ms Jarvis said the latest sample had been sent to the CSIRO’s Centre for Disease Preparedness in Victoria for confirmatory testing with results expected over the next day or two.

“This is an individual migratory bird that is common to the sub-Antarctic region,” she said.

“Importantly, there have been no reports of large-scale mortalities, and no evidence that the virus has spread to native birds or wildlife.”

Ms Jarvis said the WA Government’s response remained in surveillance mode but urged people to take precautions, particularly poultry farmers and people with backyard chickens or pet birds in the South West.

“I would urge anyone to go to birdflu.gov.au for advice, but really we want to make sure that wild birds have no possibility of mingling either with pet birds or with commercial flocks,” she said.

Australian poultry giant Ingham’s moved to a state of heightened biosecurity vigilance this week, including restricting all non-essential personnel movements at its WA operations.

PNG, which is the largest importer of Australian chicken meat, has taken its own precautions, advising on Monday that it would stop buying all Australian chicken products, including eggs and egg products.

The decision was revealed in a market access advice published by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) on Tuesday.

It said that PNG’s National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority has taken the step despite Australia retaining its HPAI (high pathogenicity avian influenza) free status with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

“The detection in wild birds does not change Australia’s current HPAI freedom status and we remain free from HPAI in poultry in accordance with WOAH international standards,” the advice said.

Ms Jarvis described PNG’s stance as “disappointing” and said there was no risk to human health from eating chicken or eggs from Australian birds.

“That message will be conveyed by the Commonwealth in their normal trade discussions, but it is disappointing,” she said.

“I can assure people of Western Australia to please keep eating your chicken and your eggs. There is absolutely no public health risk.”

There have been 24 samples taken in WA from sick or dead birds to be tested for H5 bird flu.

So far three samples have returned a positive or suspected positive sample; a brown skua and a northern giant petrel found in the Esperance area and now a southern giant petrel found in the Quindalup area.

Ms Jarvis said a member of the public reported the Quindalup bird over the weekend and that a government biosecurity worker took a sample from the bird on Sunday.

She said eight negative test results were returned over the weekend on birds that were reported to the emergency animal disease hotline.

Those birds were located in the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel, South West and Esperance regions.

Out of 79 new reports to the emergency animal disease hotline yesterday/tues, six have been prioritised for investigation and testing for the H5 bird flu virus.

“We appreciate the community’s efforts and encourage people to continue to report observations.,” Ms Jarvis said. “This increased reporting is an important part of surveillance at this stage.”

The South Australian case was detected in a southern giant petrel that was found at the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 45 minutes south of Adelaide.