"Four infected properties near Meredith, between Ballarat and Geelong, are confirmed to have the high pathogenicity H7N3 strain of avian influenza, and an infection of the H7N9 strain has been detected near Terang, in the state's south-west.
"Almost half a million chickens have been euthanased (sic)
quarantine zones have been set up, restricting the movement of birds and equipment."
ABOCLink.
like all viral outbreaks we need to take this seriously. no-one is saying its another pandemic but the risk to the economy and supply of bird products for consumption, and much more importantly the effect on wild birds in the bush and neighbourhoods, cannot be understated.
while there seems to be no risk to humans, unlike the more common bird flu strain H1N5, there are no cases of cross species transmission.
yet viruses do cross species all the time. what makes the difference is if the humans contracting the virus become sick.
have Vic and federal Govts got a handle on this outbreak? or will it decimate our native bird populations? so easy for a virus to break down quarantine boundaries as we saw during covid.
