Staying on the agriculture minister’s press conference in Victoria, the state’s chief veterinary officer, Graeme Cooke, has said there has been very little uptake of bird flu vaccines in poultry globally.
“They are not 100 per cent effective, they require constant surveillance, and they do not suit most poultry systems,” Cooke said.
Victoria has introduced a new housing order for all poultry farms with 50 or more birds near high-risk, coastal areas.iStockphoto
There have been no confirmed cases of H5N1 bird flu in poultry in Australia.
Cooke said the Victorian government will continue to monitor the rest of the state after it introduced a new housing order for all poultry farms with 50 or more birds near high-risk, coastal areas.
Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle said she had yet to decide on whether to cancel bird competitions at the Melbourne Royal Show, which is due to be held next month.