Environment Minister Murray Watt has revealed the dire consequences the H5 bird flu poses for Australians if the deadly virus were to spread into the poultry industry.
The fourth case of H5 bird flu has been confirmed since news broke of Australia’s first case last week.
Environment Minister Murray Watt told Sky News Sunday Agenda that all four cases have been brought in from migratory birds from islands below South Australia.
He added that the cases are confined to that area and have not spread further than that so far.
“It’s pleasing that at this point in time we only have four confirmed cases and they’re all migratory birds that have flown in, most likely from islands below south of Australia,” he said.
“So, it’s good that it hasn’t spread more widely than that.”
Mr Watt said if the outbreak were to spread into the poultry industry, it would not only have dire consequences for Australia’s wildlife but the nation’s economy would also suffer greatly.
“I think if we were to see a mass outbreak, that would have very serious consequences for wildlife. That’s obviously my focus as the Environment Minister,” he said.
“But Julie Collins, as the Agriculture Minister, is leading our response here and of course if we were to see an outbreak in our poultry industry, that would be very, very serious and damaging economically.
“There are no reports at all of any poultry in a commercial setting having bird flu, and we’d like to see it stay that way.”
He added that Australia has had time to prepare for the rapidly spreading virus, with Australian farmers already taking precautionary measures to keep it at bay.
“Some commercial farmers have decided to upgrade even further their biosecurity standards,” he said.
“But one of the things that I can say to reassure people is that because we’ve had a couple of years to get ready for this, compared to other countries, we’ve got very good preparedness plans in place that are already rolling out.”
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins said Australia has made pre-planned investments int he case that the H5 bird flu would someday show up in Australia when news of the first suspected case broke.
“H5N1 has spread globally, and we are currently the only continent free … We’ve always said that we couldn’t keep it out forever, so it’s about making sure as we’re as prepared as we can be, and that’s what you’ve seen from our government in terms of the investments that we have made working with states and territories,” Ms Collins said.
Australia had been the last continent in the world where the disease had not spread.
Different strains of bird flu have different risks. H7 strains, such as H7N9, have previously caused serious outbreaks in poultry in Australia.
H5N1 is widely considered one of the most dangerous variants, with a heightened ability to jump between birds and other animals.