A FOURTH outbreak of H7N8 avian influenza was confirmed at a Euroa property this morning, as authorities ordered all nearby domestic and commercial poultry and bird owners to keep their birds housed and not move birds, manure, or eggs from their properties.
Kinross Farms confirmed on Thursday an outbreak at a third facility which housed 260,000 chickens and at a fourth one today which holds 90,000.
All chickens will be destroyed, bringing the total number of bird losses for the company to 590,000.
A community information message was issued by VicEmergency for Euroa, Violet Town, Strathbogie, Ruffy, Longwood, and Avenel to all bird owners, including domestic birds.
The control orders in place since 8 February restrict the movement of poultry, poultry products, equipment, and vehicles on or off properties in designated zones around the infected properties to prevent disease spread.
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Victoria’s acting chief veterinary officer Cameron Bell said the new detection was not unexpected given the proximity of the properties, and that AgVic staff were on the ground working closely with industry to contain and eradicate the virus.
"This detection is the result of comprehensive and ongoing surveillance activities by AgVic staff within restricted and control areas," Dr Bell said.
"A strong biosecurity system relies on everyone playing their part.
"Avian influenza is a notifiable disease, which means you must tell us if you know of or suspect the presence of avian influenza in any birds without delay.
"Your cooperation is crucial to getting on top of this outbreak," Dr Bell said
Kinross Farms managing director Philip Szepe said the company had been closely monitoring all of its farms since the start of the current outbreak.
“As we have seen, it is not unusual for an avian influenza outbreak to spread to neighbouring properties within the restricted zone, and it has now affected our fourth and final laying property, or egg-production farm, in the Euroa region," Mr Szepe said.
“This latest outbreak was detected quickly and managed immediately, in line with well-established national response arrangements for an avian influenza outbreak.
“Now that all our laying farms in the Euroa area have been or are being depopulated, we have a clear path forward for recovery, and a plan for the process required to return our farms to productivity.
“We have seen from last year’s response to an avian influenza outbreak that farms can manage the decontamination and sanitation process successfully and bring hens back to their farms safely following strict recovery guidelines.
“We thank Agriculture Victoria for its ongoing efforts on the affected sites, and at our other sites where we continue to manage egg production and supply to customers, while maintaining strict biosecurity protocols."
VicEmergency said all four properties had been quarantined and the area impacted by restrictions is east of the Goulburn Valley Freeway for the Strathbogie Shire.
Poultry owners with more than 50 birds within the restricted area must house their birds immediately.
This applies to the area between Longwood and Euroa.
Mr Szepe said it was a very challenging time for his staff.
“Our teams across all sites are working tirelessly to manage this response and we appreciate their commitment to the work.
“(Their) day-to-day work is dedicated to ensuring the health and welfare of our birds, and we want to thank them all for their unwavering commitment to the recovery work as it unfolds.
“We also thank members of the local community for their ongoing support, especially towards our team members who live in the region."
Both AgVic and Mr Szepe continue to assure the community that eggs and poultry products from supermarkets remain safe to consume.
"We appreciate all customers who continue to support Kinross Farms and we look forward to returning the business to full strength over the coming months,” Mr Szepe said.
Burton's IGA in Euroa has drawn concern over its limit of two cartons per customer but has assured locals on a Facebook post that its eggs were not sourced from the infected local farms.
"Although our egg supply is currently not impacted, we do have a two carton limit per customer to ensure all customers have equal access to eggs," the post said.
A spokesperson for the supermarket said the limit was set to prevent Melbourne-based visitors stocking up in the face of that city's egg shortage and that local customers could be accommodated where needed.
Further information on the outbreak and bird restrictions can be found at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza
