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<\/p>\nA second bird found sick on a remote beach in Western Australia’s south coast has now tested positive for a deadly strain of bird flu, authorities have confirmed.<\/p>\n
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said testing at the CSIRO had confirmed both a brown skua and a northern giant petrel had tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza.<\/p>\n
Both birds were found in Esperance, about 700 kilometres south-east of Perth, and authorities confirmed on Saturday morning that the brown skua had the disease.<\/p>\n
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Ms Collins said there was no evidence of mass mortalities in wildlife, with the Australian poultry and agricultural systems free from bird flu so far.<\/p>\n
“We are working to determine whether the H5 bird flu has established in the wildlife of Australia, other than these two isolated birds,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said samples from the infected birds would be investigated over the next week, with researchers looking for evidence of the infection spreading to other species.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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This bird was the second in Australia to test positive to the virus. (Supplied: Esperance Wildlife Hospital)<\/p>\n
The news comes after Ingham’s, one of the nation’s biggest poultry producers, announced today it was locking down its entire WA operations in response to the bird flu threat.<\/p>\n
Almost 60 sick birds reported<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, WA’s chief veterinary officer Michelle Rodan said at least 58 reports of sick or dead birds had been logged by an emergency hotline since Friday, with nine samples collected for testing.<\/p>\n
The figures are for a period up until 3pm WST yesterday.<\/p>\n
“We appreciate the level of interest and support from the community who are making these reports,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The community is a vital partner and can greatly enhance our surveillance.”<\/p>\n
Esperance, 700km south east of Perth, is a major migratory route and nesting ground for seabirds from around the world.<\/p>\n
The region includes nesting grounds on the Recherche Archipelago and internationally protected RAMSAR-listed wetlands visited by hundreds of bird species each year.<\/p>\n
Information lacking: local shire<\/p>\n
Despite today’s second positive test, Esperance shire president Ron Chambers said there had been little communication with the local government.<\/p>\n
He said responding agencies needed to collaborate with local leaders and officials.<\/p>\n
“[The media] is saying that the state and federal governments have been collaborating quite a bit with different agencies around the bird flu and the possible detection of bird flu within Australia,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It would be really good to see that now start to flow down to local governments … they’re probably going to be the ones that get hit fairly hard for information.”<\/p>\n
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Black swans are considered to be at significant risk from bird flu. (ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough)<\/p>\n
His concern was echoed by BirdLife Australia chief executive Kate Millar, who warned the discovery could lead to species becoming extinct.<\/p>\n
She said protections in place for at-risk species were not sufficient and additional funding was needed to bolster on-ground preparedness.<\/p>\n
“I’m concerned that many jurisdictions at the local level simply don’t yet have plans in place to respond to H5 bird flu,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ingham’s lockdown<\/p>\n
Earlier, Ingham’s said it was implementing a “complete lockdown, preventing all non-essential access, across all the company\u2019s WA farms and processing operations.”<\/p>\n
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Ingham’s has locked down its WA operations in response to the discovery of the H5 avian influenza variant in the state. (File photo) (ABC News: Jonny McNee)<\/p>\n
In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Ingham’s said it had “moved to a state of heightened biosecurity vigilance to mitigate against any potential risks.”<\/p>\n
The company’s operations and supply chain are mostly located in the Wheatbelt region north of Perth, about 700 kilometres from Esperance.<\/p>\n
Few ways to stop spread<\/p>\n
Australian chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson said if avian flu were to spread, there were not many feasible ways to control it.<\/p>\n
“What we’re trying to do now is understand what is being reported through the public hotline \u2026 and if there’s been any indication of spread,” she said.<\/p>\n
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Samples from the infected birds are being investigated further. (Supplied: Lori-Ann Shibish\/Esperance Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary)<\/p>\n
WA Premier Roger Cook said “a lot of work” was being done between governments on how to handle the detection.<\/p>\n
“We are hoping for the best, preparing for the worst,” he said.<\/p>\n
Federal environment minister Murray Watt said a special meeting would be held later on Monday afternoon to brief state environment ministers across the nation.<\/p>\n