An unidentified strain of bird flu has been
detected at a hen farm near Maitland in the Hunter Valley, prompting
authorities to quarantine about 50,000 chickens.
The suspected virus is not thought to be the
deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu that has killed 359 people worldwide in sporadic
outbreaks since 2003.
Nonetheless, the 50,000 hens may have to be
destroyed, the NSW Department of Primary Industries said.
A "first response team" of specialists
from the department is on site to enforce the quarantine, while the CSIRO runs
lab tests on samples of the virus, with results expected this afternoon.
"The suspected virus is definitely not the
highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has gained worldwide attention — nor is it
closely related to that strain," the NSW chief veterinary officer, Ian
Roth, said in a statement.
"Australia has previously had a small
number of outbreaks of avian influenza viruses, which were all quickly and
successfully eradicated," Dr Roth said.
"The property has been placed under
quarantine and initial tracing and surveillance is being undertaken to confirm
that the virus hasn't spread. We currently have no evidence to suggest it
has."
The department said Australia has had five
outbreaks of avian influenza in chickens between 1976 and 1997 – three in
Victoria and one each in NSW and Queensland.
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