The strain of bird flu detected at a Victorian egg farm is not the deadly variant spreading worldwide, authorities have confirmed.
Agriculture Victoria has ordered urgent testing after avian influenza was detected at a farm near Meredith, about 40km northwest of Geelong, following a number of poultry deaths.
The state's chief veterinary officer, Graeme Cooke, said the outbreak likely involved the H7N7 strain and not the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain spreading globally, causing widespread outbreaks and deaths in bird populations.
"There is a type of virus which is causing great concern in the USA and other parts of the world and has behaved unusually in that it has infected dairy cattle and some other marine mammals," Dr Cooke told the ABC's Country Hour on Wednesday.
"This is not the strain that we're dealing with. This is a strain that's occurred in Australia before. It's likely not new."
H7N7 was the most common strain of bird flu in Australia, Dr Cooke said.
One of the strains in the last bird flu outbreak in Australia in 2020, which affected one-in-three egg farms in Victoria, was a H7 strain and testing is underway to determine if it's the same one.
"Agriculture Victoria is responding with staff on the ground supporting the business with further laboratory investigations as necessary," Dr Cooke said.
The property has been placed into quarantine with a 5km radius set up and affected animals will be "depopulated".
Samples of the virus have been sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong for testing.
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral infection which can cause severe symptoms and sudden death in domestic poultry, wiping out entire populations.
"Australia is the only continent now that has not found a H5N1," Dr Cooke said.
Wild birds are the natural host for the disease and it can spread through close contact or contaminated environments.
Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants, emus and ostriches are most susceptible to being affected by avian influenza.
All bird species are thought to be susceptible to the deadly H5N1, which has also been detected in more than 50 mammal species, including humans.
Infected people have observed mild symptoms or have been asymptomatic, but some experience severe illness.
Authorities have reassured the public that eggs and poultry products in supermarkets do not pose a risk and are safe to consume.
Bird owners have been reminded to keep enclosures clean, quarantine new birds before integrating them with existing flocks, ensure footwear is clean and to always wash hands before and after handling birds or eggs.
The risk to Australia has increased following outbreaks of the H5N1 strain worldwide and the annual migration of wild birds remains a risk for native species.
There have been nine outbreaks of highly pathogenic bird flu in Australian farms between 1976 and 2021.
The most recent was in 2020 and 2021, where three strains of bird flu were detected at six Victorian poultry farms.
Australian Associated Press
