One of the nation’s biggest poultry producers has locked down its WA operations after the deadly H5 variant of bird flu was discovered in a migratory bird on the state’s south coast.
Ingham’s said while the disease had not been detected in chickens, it was implementing a “complete lockdown, preventing all non-essential access, across all the company’s WA farms and processing operations.”
In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Ingham’s said it had “moved to a state of heightened biosecurity vigilance to mitigate against any potential risks.”
Ingham’s does not have cases of bird flu at its facility, but is closing as a precaution. (ABC News: Stephanie Chalmers)
The company’s operations and supply chain are mostly located in the Wheatbelt region north of Perth, about 700 kilometres from Esperance, where a sick brown skua migratory bird was found on a beach and later confirmed to have bird flu.
Dead birds washing up
More than a dozen dead birds have since been reported along Western Australia’s southern coastline.
It is the first time the deadly disease has been detected in Australia — the last continent on earth to experience the H5 strain — putting authorities on alert around the nation.
WA’s Department of Primary Industries has received at least 16 reports of dead animals between Perth and the Cape Le Grand area in the state’s south-west.
The reported species include five seabirds, two of which were found in the Esperance area, with the 16 including only reports received by mid-afternoon on Saturday.
Where possible, samples are being collected from the carcasses and will be tested. It is not yet known if any of the dead species reported to authorities have been infected with bird flu.
More cases likely
WA Seabird Conservation Network marine ornithologist Aurelie Labbe said there were likely other infected birds not yet discovered lying dead along the WA coastline.
“It is a huge stretch of coastline, not very well monitored for the arrival of the disease,” she said.
“It’s very unlikely that we would have found patient zero and patient one.”
Aurelie Labbe is warning of “catastrophic” consequences if bird flu spreads. (ABC News: Nicolas Perpitch)
Ms Labbe said the disease could be “catastrophic” for Australian birds, none which have any immunity to the disease.
“The things that we’re very much expecting the most is a complete wipe-out of the black swans, which have no ability to mount an immune response to the virus when it arrives,” she said.
Black swans are considered to be at significant risk from bird flu. (ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough)
“If they do contract it, they will die. They cannot be saved.”
WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis said plans had been devised to protect species like black swans and fairy penguins because it was not possible to stop the disease spreading in wild populations.
“If that means keeping a flock of birds in a controlled environment where we can do vaccines, we know that’s what we need to do,” she said.
Jackie Jarvis says there are plans to isolate and vaccinate black swans. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
“I don’t think we should be talking about wiping out species, because we’ve had two years to prepare, but it is very serious.”
Vaccination was only an option in contained environments, Ms Jarvis said, because two doses were required.
Poultry industry bracing for impact
Anxiety is growing across the Australian poultry sector, with the potential for the influenza to decimate the $4 billion industry.
At Albany’s poultry auction yards yesterday, each chicken coming in was being squeezed to check for signs of infection.
A chicken being tested for bird flu at Albany poultry saleyards. (ABC Great Southern: Will Corbett)
Albany Poultry Club secretary Sharron Cliff said buyers were looking for external signs of disease.
“Bubbly eyes, weepy nose, any discharge. You can also smell if they have a bad respiratory issue,” she said.
Colin Ford runs a large-scale poultry operation in southern WA, with 40,000 chickens producing more than 30,000 eggs a day.
The farm shop has now closed and his chickens have been moved inside.
Colin Ford is worried about the potential impact of avian flu. (ABC Great Southern: Will Corbett)
“The [chickens] no longer have access to their free-range area,” he said.
He said he was feeling concerned about what the discovery could mean for the industry.
“We’re lucky they picked it up at an early stage and we will plan for the worst but hope for the best,” he said.
A number of poultry shows have also been cancelled across the south of the state, including in Esperance and in Collie.
NSW and SA on alert
Authorities across the country are also on alert, with hopes of quarantining any disease outbreak to WA.
South Australian Environment Minister Emily Bourke said there were no cases in the state but authorities were ready to mobilise testing.
Protocols have been put in place to protect the poultry industry in WA. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)
“There are no cases here in South Australia but we all need to be alert,” she said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said an emergency facility had been established in Orange in the state’s central-west to monitor any outbreak.
“I know it’s devastating for farmers and others that would be hoping or praying that this wouldn’t hit the Australian continent, but we’re vigilant about the future,” he said.
NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said the industry had strict biosecurity measures in place to reduce the risk of spread, should it arrive on the east coast.
“We’ve seen in other parts of the world that it hasn’t necessarily gone coast to coast. We’ve been alert that it was highly likely that eventually it would come into our nation,” Mr Martin said.
“It is important that people are alert, but not alarmed.”
