Large poultry flocks on lockdown as H5 bird flu spread widens
Victorian authorities have mandated that poultry owners in coastal and southern regions confine their birds to prevent the spread of H5N1 avian influenza. While the virus has been detected in wild bird species, there have been no confirmed cases in domestic poultry or livestock in Australia to date.
Why it matters
This precautionary measure aims to protect the agricultural sector and domestic food supply from a potentially devastating outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
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GLENELG Shire is one of more than 30 southern and coastal Victorian Local Government Areas to be issued with a poultry housing requirement, as the H5N1 avian influenza (H5 bird flu) spreads across the state.
As of Monday morning, information from Agriculture Victoria advised that the highly pathogenetic strain of avian influenza had been detected in 53 birds from 37 locations in Victoria, including from the South Australian border at Nelson through to east of Warrnambool and Apollo Bay and south-east of Melbourne, at Clyde.
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