NSW reports positive bird flu case north of Newcastle, further testing underway

NSW has become the latest state to report a suspected case of H5 bird flu after Western and South Australia reported positive cases in recent weeks.

The state government is investigating whether a giant bird found at Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, may have bird flu after preliminary tests at a laboratory at the Elizabeth Macarthur Institute of Agriculture.

This finding marks the first wild migratory seabird to test positive for H5 bird flu in NSW. It will be sent to the CSIRO for further testing.

NSW Agricultural Corporation Tara Moriarty told a press conference the bird was “wild” and was spotted by a member of the public as appearing ill.

The CSIRO said test results were expected on Saturday.

NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Jo Coombe said tests would determine whether the bird carried a “highly pathogenic” variant of H5.

“There are variants circulating in wild birds that are low pathogenic and do not have any effects,” he said.

“So there have been detections of the low pathogenic form through our wild bird surveillance network, but never detections of the highly pathogenic form.”

At least five birds have been confirmed to have contracted bird flu since the beginning of June, most in Western Australia.

A dead bird found in Victoria earlier this week has tested negative.

It appears that the birds migrate from the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions.

But Dr Coombe said it was “an anomaly” that the suspected NSW case had come ashore in this way.

“The advice from the Bureau of Meteorology, working with the Commonwealth government, is that there have been some weather events that may actually mean they have gone slightly off course and so they are much closer to the Australian coast than they would otherwise be,” he said.

Dr Coombe said the H5 vaccine would only be administered “if conservationists deem it necessary” and for endangered species.

Federal Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins will address the media at 13:00.

‘Keep buying’

NSW agriculture minister Ms Moriarty said there had been no reports of positive cases affecting the poultry industry.

“There is no need to panic when buying eggs. Keep buying eggs, keep buying chickens,” he said.

“There is no spread within our poultry industry in NSW. There is only one bird that we are currently testing at the national laboratory to see which H5 strain it is.”

Ms. Moriarty said authorities had worked closely with the state’s poultry industry for several years after the earlier outbreak of H7 bird flu.