Third Victorian farm infected with bird flu, authorities

Avian flu, the virus that left supermarket shelves empty in 2024, has spread at a third poultry farm in Victoria this month alone.

A third Victorian farm has been infected with bird flu, less than a month after the state government declared the disease eradicated.

Announced on Thursday, the third farm is close to two other outbreaks detected earlier in February in the northern town of Euroa.

The strain is different to the variant which swept across Victoria, NSW and the ACT in 2024, and different again from a strain wreaking havoc overseas.

These infections severely cut the supply of eggs to Australian supermarkets for the second half of 2024.

Bird flu outbreaks in Victoria, the ACT and NSW left supermarket shelves empty in 2024, with some of the drought carrying into the new year. Picture: NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

“A strong biosecurity system relies on everyone playing their part,” Victoria’s acting chief veterinary officer Cameron Bell said.

Being close to two farms already infected, this third discovery was “not unexpected”, Dr Bell said.

Affected farmers were being cooperative and Dr Bell told consumers eggs and poultry products were safe to eat.

This strain of bird flu is H7N8 high pathogenicity avian influenza.

When the first two H7 infections were found, bird, product, equipment and vehicle restrictions were put in place 5km around the farms.

A wider “control area” spans east of the Goulburn Valley Freeway and includes the townships of Euroa, Violet Town, Longwood, Ruffy, Avenel and Strathbogie. This restriction bans moving of equipment, animals and products too.

In 2024, seven southwestern Victorian farms were infected with the H7N3 strain, and one had the H7N9 strain. These infections were eradicated.

The likelihood of a person being infected with bird flu in Australia through normal contact with healthy birds is very low.

However, humans are susceptible to infection with avian influenza viruses. Natural exposure to some types of bird flu has caused human disease in various forms, ranging from mild or inapparent infection to death.

Most of the bird flu viruses circulating in birds do not readily infect humans.

Originally published as Third Victorian farm infected with bird flu, authorities