Third suspected case of bird flu found in WA’s South West as PNG halts poultry imports

A third bird is suspected to have tested positive for the highly infectious H5 strain of bird flu in WA, as the disease spread to another State threatening the poultry industry.

WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis on Wednesday confirmed the result of preliminary testing of a migratory sea bird found in the Quindalup area — just north of holiday hotspot, Dunsborough.

It comes after Papua New Guinea suspended imports of Australian poultry and eggs after the virus was initially detected in two seabirds in WA last week and the first case of bird flu was confirmed in South Australia.

Ms Jarvis said the latest sample had been sent to the CSIRO’s Centre for Disease Preparedness in Victoria for confirmatory testing with results expected over the next day or two.

“This is an individual migratory bird that is common to the sub-Antarctic region,” she said. “Importantly, there have been no reports of large-scale mortalities, and no evidence that the virus has spread to native birds or wildlife.”

Ms Jarvis said the WA Government’s response remained in surveillance mode but urged people to take precautions, particularly poultry farmers and people with backyard chickens or pet birds in the South West.

“I would urge anyone to go to birdflu.gov.au for advice, but really we want to make sure that wild birds have no possibility of mingling either with pet birds or with commercial flocks,” she said.

Australian poultry giant Ingham’s moved to a state of heightened biosecurity vigilance this week, including restricting all non-essential personnel movements at its WA operations.

PNG, which is the largest importer of Australian chicken meat, has taken its own precautions, advising on Monday that it would stop buying all Australian chicken products, including eggs and egg products.

The decision was revealed in a market access advice published by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) on Tuesday.

It said that PNG’s National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority has taken the step despite Australia retaining its HPAI (high pathogenicity avian influenza) free status with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

“The detection in wild birds does not change Australia’s current HPAI freedom status and we remain free from HPAI in poultry in accordance with WOAH international standards,” the advice said.

Ms Jarvis described PNG’s stance as “disappointing” and said there was no risk to human health from eating chicken or eggs from Australian birds.

“That message will be conveyed by the Commonwealth in their normal trade discussions, but it is disappointing,” she said. “I can assure people of Western Australia to please keep eating your chicken and your eggs. There is absolutely no public health risk.”

There have been 24 samples taken in WA from sick or dead birds to be tested for H5 bird flu.

So far three samples have returned a positive or suspected positive sample in WA; a brown skua and a northern giant petrel found in the Esperance area and now a southern giant petrel found in the Quindalup area.

Ms Jarvis said a member of the public reported the Quindalup bird over the weekend and that a government biosecurity worker took a sample from the bird on Sunday.

She said eight negative test results were returned over the weekend on birds that were reported to the emergency animal disease hotline.

Those birds were located in the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel, South West and Esperance regions.

Out of 79 new reports to the emergency animal disease hotline yesterday/tues, six have been prioritised for investigation and testing for the H5 bird flu virus.

“We appreciate the community’s efforts and encourage people to continue to report observations.,” Ms Jarvis said. “This increased reporting is an important part of surveillance at this stage.”

The South Australian case was detected in a southern giant petrel that was found at the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 45 minutes south of Adelaide.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the development was “obviously concerning” but insisted the government had engaged all possible “biosecurity response arrangements”.

“We’re taking the detection of the H5 bird flu seriously, and we’re working around the clock with our technical experts, the state and territory governments, industry, and local communities,” Ms Collins said.

“We have invested over $113 million towards our H5 bird flu preparedness, as part of our $2 million in additional biosecurity resourcing since we’ve come to government.”

The Invasive Species Council said the confirmation of a third H5N1 bird flu case should be met with an urgent $200 million wildlife resilience package.

“This latest detection is deeply concerning,” Invasive Species Council Policy Director Dr Carol Booth said.

“We now have confirmed cases in multiple states and must assume either the virus is more widespread than we know, or that new incursions can occur easily now that it is established in the sub-Antarctic.

“This is why the Albanese Government should urgently invest at least $200 million over the next two years in a national wildlife resilience package.”

“This is a no-regrets investment that would strengthen native wildlife populations before large-scale outbreaks occur by boosting invasive species control, habitat restoration, predator management and wildlife recovery programs”.

SA Greens Senator and party environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the Port Elliot detection was concerning for the State’s critically endangered species, especially on Kangaroo Island.

“If bird flu takes hold in this region, it could push some of our native birds and wildlife closer to extinction,” she said.

“South Australia’s coastal bird populations have already been devastated by the algal bloom. We cannot afford another ecological catastrophe.”