Avian influenza found on the eighth farm in Victoria | Media releases | Media Heart | on

June 25, 2024

The hen flu virus has been confirmed at Victorian Farm Eight, which was already in quarantine.

Exams confirmed the extremely pathogenic H7N3 pressure on a small business egg farm, which is positioned inside the present exclusion zone within the Golden Plains Shire, the place motion restrictions had been already in place.

All poultry on the property can be humanely euthanized below veterinary supervision, in accordance with nationwide insurance policies, and the location can be cleaned and decontaminated.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Graeme Prepare dinner, thanked producers on all farms and people within the wider trade for working with Agriculture Victoria to implement testing and monitoring actions.

“This discovery will not be sudden, and in reality exhibits that exclusion zones and risk-based surveillance are cheap and that our surveillance measures are working as we would like them to,” Dr Prepare dinner stated. The Victorian Division of Agriculture’s complete and ongoing surveillance actions are working to detect and include infections.

“We proceed to work with affected producers and the poultry trade to answer these discoveries by means of ongoing testing and cautious biosecurity practices.”

“Motion restrictions are anticipated to stay in place for a number of weeks, and we’re working with trade to assist poultry farmers with the logistical challenges they face,” Dr Prepare dinner stated.

Current motion controls stay in place in particular areas close to Terang, whereas motion controls have been expanded in areas close to Meredith and Lethbridge to the west. This now consists of:

• An exclusion zone protecting the affected Meredith and Lethbridge properties and a buffer zone for the management space, which is bounded by the Bacchus Marsh Highway on the east and the Colac-Ballarat Highway on the western boundary.
• An exclusion zone covers a 5 km radius round Terang Farm with a wider buffer zone protecting a 15 km radius.
• Habitat requirement for all birds inside these areas.

Inside restricted and managed areas, permits are required for the motion of birds, poultry merchandise, feed and gear on or off the property.

Poultry farmers, poultry flocks and hen house owners are urged to report any unexplained hen deaths to the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226.

Shoppers shouldn’t be involved about eggs and different poultry merchandise. It doesn’t pose a threat and is secure for consumption. Victoria has a safe provide chain together with interstate egg imports, so the present outbreak has not considerably impacted provides.

Extra data, together with motion permits, compensation particulars and psychological well being sources, is on the market on-line at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza.

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