Victoria's first confirmed case of the H5N1 bird flu strain has triggered heightened surveillance and mandatory housing orders for poultry, raising the specter of mass culling that's already cost the industry nearly two million birds over the past two years.
A member of the public discovered the infected greater crested tern in Portland, a coastal town near the South Australian border, and reported it to authorities. Testing confirmed the bird had contracted the virus that's been declared ineradicable by national authorities.
Economic Toll Already Mounting
The poultry sector's already reeling from previous outbreaks. Detection of a separate bird flu strain on farms in the second year resulted in about 1.3 million birds being euthanised. Another 600,000 followed in the first year. That's nearly two million birds culled in just over a year, representing significant economic losses for producers and potential supply chain disruptions for consumers.
Victoria's chief veterinary officer Graeme Cooke urged anyone who finds a cluster of at least five sick birds of any species to alert authorities. Even a single sick or dead seabird, waterbird, shorebird or bird of prey, or marine mammal such as seals and dolphins, should be reported immediately. "We recognise this can be unsettling news for members of our community," Cooke said.
Since the detection of the H5N1 virus in Western Australia within the past month, poultry keepers have been asked to voluntarily house their birds. In Victoria, that period's now been extended to a minimum of 14 days from today.
Ineradicable Designation Triggers Federal Spending
The national committee on emergency animal diseases, which comprises state and federal chief veterinary officers as well as scientific experts, declared H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b ineradicable on Wednesday. That determination came after confirmation the virus is circulating among local birds.
The Albanese government's committed $113 million to preparations for dealing with an H5N1 incursion. The funding emphasizes planning to identify an outbreak swiftly and a response to limit its spread. This includes funding to prepare biosecurity officers to respond to an outbreak in farmed poultry, which may involve quarantining farms or districts and restricting transport between locations.
The official declaration triggers national coordination for cost sharing in response to the deadly virus. That's taxpayer money being allocated to address what's become an ongoing biosecurity challenge.
Surveillance Ramped Up
Authorities are using aerial surveillance methods, with helicopters and drones monitoring wildlife populations. Victoria's chief biodiversity officer James Todd said seal and gannet colonies in Portland were among the wildlife vulnerable to the disease. "We've been preparing for H5 arrival in Victoria for a few years now," he said. "Our best line of defence at this stage is still the Victorian public."
Wildlife Victoria said it received a call from a concerned member of the public earlier this week about the greater crested tern in Portland showing signs of the virus. "Wildlife Victoria monitored the case until Agriculture Victoria responders arrived on scene to contain and test the bird," it said. "The tern was confirmed positive to H5 bird flu shortly after."
Victorian Farmers Federation president Ryan Milgate said farmers should review their biosecurity plans and look out for unusual illness or unexplained bird deaths. "There has been no spread to commercial poultry flocks or any agricultural environment at this stage, and the risk to human health remains very low," he said.
The signs of H5N1 in birds include lack of coordination, tremors, swimming in circles, twisted necks, inability to fly or stand, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, coughing, sneezing, swelling around the head, neck and eyes as well as cloudy eyes and changes in eye color, and sudden death.
Why This Matters:
The declaration of H5N1 as ineradicable represents a permanent shift in Australia's biosecurity landscape, with ongoing costs for both taxpayers and producers. The $113 million federal commitment is just the beginning. Previous bird flu outbreaks resulted in nearly two million birds being culled, causing supply disruptions and price pressures for consumers. With the virus now circulating among wild bird populations, poultry producers face an indefinite period of heightened biosecurity measures, mandatory housing orders, and the constant threat of quarantines that can shut down operations overnight. The reliance on public reporting and government surveillance underscores the challenge of managing a threat that can't be eradicated, only contained. For farmers operating on thin margins, the cost of compliance and the risk of catastrophic losses create ongoing economic uncertainty.