Australia is currently suffering an “unprecedented” outbreak of bird flu involving three strains, with government, agricultural authorities and industry groups preparing for the possible arrival of the dangerous H5N1 strain that could devastate the Northern Hemisphere.
Currently, Australia – including Antarctica – is the only continent where the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, which has spread to livestock and mammals such as sea lions in Argentina, has not yet been detected.
However, three other strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in poultry and egg farms in Victoria, NSW and the ACT.
Debbie Eagles, director of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) Australian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said the likelihood of the H5N1 virus spreading to Australia was “much higher” than in previous avian influenza outbreaks due to the large number of birds currently infected worldwide.
“The probability is considered to be increased compared to previous years with other internationally circulating viruses, but since 2021 the virus has also been circulating in various regions around the world,” she said on Monday.
“We are certainly preparing very well in the industry and at the government level for the fact that the potential has increased.
Those involved are also preparing for the possibility that other mammals, such as sea lions, could become infected with the virus, Dr. Eagles said.
“That’s one of the real differences with this virus and the preparation needs to happen across the agriculture industry, but also across the environment and health sectors, and we certainly see those preparedness discussions and plans being worked on,” she said.
Although poultry are not currently being vaccinated against bird flu in Australia, Dr Eagles said discussions were continuing as authorities prepared for possible transmission.
Dr Wong said that while Australia was somewhat protected from the spread of the virus when waterfowl such as ducks and geese migrate south to Indonesia in the spring, there may be risks associated with “regional nomadic duck species”.
“Since the viruses are already in our region, we do not depend on these species that migrate over long distances, but on the so-called bridge species that could be infected and then hop from island to island, so to speak,” he said.
Referring to the current H5 and H7 outbreaks in NSW, Victoria and ACT, Dr Eagles said Australia had a “very well-developed response plan” involving industry and state governments.
The outbreaks have led to the culling of hundreds or thousands of birds, and major supermarkets Coles and Woolworths have imposed egg purchasing restrictions in every state except Washington.
Frank Wong, a senior scientist at the center and a World Organization for Animal Health expert on bird flu, also allayed concerns about human transmission of the virus, saying the current cases were linked to people involved in the outbreak.
Infections in humans were also “very mild,” which, according to Dr. Wong, shows that the virus is “not very well adapted to infections in mammals and humans.”
“The virus is not yet adapted to infect humans, so all infections are due to close contact with infected birds or livestock,” he said.
“That’s because during an outbreak … there are a lot of viruses in the environment.”