Agriculture Minister Julie Collins at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in July: bird flu remains undetected in the nation’s poultry and agricultural production systems. Photo: Julie Collins.
H5 bird flu is spreading across Australia at an increasingly alarming rate. The Emergency Animal Disease Hotline has already received more than 51,000 calls, and more than 650 cases have been detected.
Yet as the Federal Government launches a national awareness campaign to help Australians know how to respond to encounters with sick or dead birds, bird flu remains undetected in the nation’s poultry and agricultural production systems.
To date, there have been 652 H5 bird flu events across the country, with the highest number in South Australia at 319.
However, 67 cases have been recorded in New South Wales, 1 in Jarvis Bay and 2 in Queensland. Victoria has 208 cases, Western Australia has 10, and Tasmania has 45.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the disease could not be stopped from entering Australia, so the government has focused on responding effectively.
“We’ve been working very closely with industry over a very long period of time now in preparing Australia as much as we possibly can,” the minister said.
“We’ve always been very clear that we couldn’t stop the H5 bird flu from getting to Australia, but what we could do is spend that time getting as prepared as we possibly can be. And that’s what you’ve seen from Australia.
“The fact that we’ve been able to detect the bird flu from the very first moment it arrived, and as it makes its way across the country, shows what a strong system Australia has in terms of our biosecurity.
“I do want to thank the Australian public for their role in that. They have been tremendous.”
A new national information campaign, Bird flu. Know what to do, was launched on Sunday (27 September) to help Australians know what to do should they encounter sick or dead birds.
It also provides practical information to help them protect wildlife, poultry and pets from the threats of the H5 bird flu.
The campaign, which will run across television, digital, radio and social media channels for the next six weeks, encourages everyone to take simple steps to know the signs of bird flu, avoid touching sick or dead birds, report suspected cases, and take precautions to protect pets and backyard poultry.
So far, there has been more than $270 million invested in bird flu preparedness and response, including boosting surveillance and on-ground response capability, vaccine preparation and rollout expertise, wildlife protection measures and biosecurity upgrades.
“Our government has been planning for the arrival of H5 bird flu for years, and this campaign is about ensuring everyday Australians know what to do to prepare for and respond to this virus as we continue to see more detections,” Ms Collins said.
“This campaign gives Australians clear, trusted and practical advice so they know where to find information, how to protect pets and backyard poultry, and what to do if they find sick or dead wildlife.
“This builds on the significant work we’ve undertaken with industry and states and territories to help strengthen Australia’s H5 bird flu preparedness and response capability.”
That collaborative work with states and territories includes an ongoing process to vaccinate about 10,000 native birds across the country against the disease.
The minister said the vaccination program is based on technical and expert advice on the right time to vaccinate the birds effectively.
It’s like a human vaccine and doesn’t last forever. Birds need to have two shots. Technical experts from all jurisdictions are providing priority lists of which birds should be vaccinated, and the states and territories are undertaking those vaccinations.
“If you have backyard chickens and you have localised bird flu in your area, [the information campaign] will give you practical advice about what to do,” she said.
“If you’re taking your dog out for a walk and you come across dead birds, it’ll give you practical advice about what to do. So, it’s really practical advice that is tailored for everyday Australians…
“I reiterate that at this stage there is no evidence of any infections in our poultry or agriculture systems, and the risk to human health remains low.
“But I say to Australians, if you do notice sick or dead birds or other animals showing signs of bird flu, you should not touch them or get too close. Please record your location, and report these birds, and go through birdflu.gov.au.”
The Emergency Animal Disease Hotline number is 1800 675 888.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
