Bird flu hits Australian duck farm

Published Jun 14, 2024

Tridge summary

Australia's Victoria state has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, specifically the H7N3 strain, at a duck farm near Melbourne. This outbreak is part of a wider epidemic that includes four other poultry farms, all located within a designated quarantine zone. The government is working to contain these outbreaks, which have led to the culling of approximately one million eggs-laying chickens. Despite the disruption to egg supply, Eggs Australia and the federal agriculture minister have reassured the public that there is no overall shortage of eggs. These strains of bird flu, while posing a threat to poultry, are not the same as the H5N1 strain that has caused concerns globally for its impact on food supply chains and potential human transmission.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

CANBERRA: Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been found on a duck farm near Melbourne close to five poultry farms where the virus had already spread, the government of Australia's Victoria state said. The duck farm was within a quarantine zone set up around other affected facilities and the government said its infection was not a surprise. Authorities are trying to contain outbreaks of two strains of bird flu near Melbourne, an H7N3 strain on four poultry farms and the duck farm and an H7N9 type on a poultry farm about 130km to the southwest. Neither strain is the H5N1 type that has infected billions of wild and farmed animals globally, upsetting food supply chains and raising fears of human transmission. "Tests have confirmed the high pathogenicity H7N3 strain at a commercial duck farm," Victoria's agriculture department said in a statement on Thursday (Jun 13). "All ducks at the property will be humanely disposed of under veterinary supervision, consistent with national ...

Source: Channelnewsasia