“Australia’s largest outbreak of bird flu has hit a grim milestone, with Victorian authorities confirming more than 1 million birds will be killed to try and prevent the spread of the virus,” ABC reports.
Per ABC:
Seven farms across south-west Victoria have now been found with highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza, affecting hundreds of thousands of farmed birds.
The outbreak began on an egg farm near Meredith in May, and has continued to spread in the region as local farmers face the harsh reality of Australia’s biosecurity response to outbreaks of emergency animal diseases.
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, Graeme Cooke, said the latest infected farm housed between 150,000 and 200,000 egg-laying chickens.
“This latest infected premises was once again picked up on very early surveillance and that means it can be dealt with very early,” Dr Cooke said.
“I really thank producers within the restricted area where all the cases have been for their help and collaboration as we work our way through this outbreak.”
100percentfedup.com reports: The slaughter of hundreds of thousands of egg-laying chickens is a direct attack against the food supply.
And ‘bird flu’ is the excuse to justify potential orchestrated food shortages.
WATCH:
From The Guardian:
Almost a quarter of a million birds will die on a NSW farm in an attempt to stop the spread of the state’s bird flu outbreak.
The order comes after avian influenza was picked up on a mixed barn yard and free-range poultry farm in the Hawkesbury district, in Sydney’s north-west.
The highly contagious and deadly H7N8 strain of the virus has already killed 8,000 birds at the facility over the past 48 hours, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
More than one million chickens and ducks are also set to die in Victoria after the highly pathogenic strain H7N3 was found on multiple properties in the state during the week.
NSW officials engaged the state’s emergency biosecurity incident plan, sending the farm into quarantine and triggering movement controls in the area.
A control order to depopulate the farm of its birds “in a humane manner” and to securely dispose of the remains has also been issued.