Six new bird flu cases suspected in Victoria

Preliminary testing has identified six more suspected H5N1 cases in south-west Victoria. The deadly disease was first confirmed in Victoria on Thursday. What's next? Victoria's Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke urged Victorians to avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife and to record and report what they see. Six more suspected cases of H5N1 bird flu have been detected in the state's south-west. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) said preliminary testing had identified five crested terns suspected to have the deadly disease. Three of the birds were located in Portland, and two in nearby Nelson Bay. The samples will undergo further testing at the CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. A further suspected case was announced yesterday in Portland. Victoria's first positive case of H5 bird flu was confirmed on Thursday, also in Portland. The H5N1 strain was first detected in Australia in a brown skua discovered in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, about 700 kilometres south-east of Perth, in June, and has since spread across the southern coast through migratory bird populations. Victorian Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke said community observations are important to help authorities monitor and detect the disease. "Their reports support ongoing surveillance and help ensure samples can be collected and tested as quickly as possible," he said. "Our teams are out in the field every day, conducting surveillance, collecting samples and working with local communities and landholders to monitor the situation and support response activities." He urged Victorians to avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife and to record and report what they see. "Early reporting remains one of the most important tools we have for monitoring the spread of the disease," Dr Cooke said.