Further suspect H5 bird flu detections in south west

Further suspect cases of H5 bird flu have been detected in crested terns in Victoria's south west.

There is now one existing positive case and six suspect cases in Victoria.

Preliminary testing has identified five crested terns, three from Portland and two from Nelson Bay, suspected to have H5 bird flu after returning a positive result at Victoria’s state lab, AgriBio. Samples are undergoing confirmatory testing at CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness along with the single suspect case from Portland announced yesterday.

Victoria's Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said the additional suspect cases showed how important community observations are in helping detect and monitor disease in wild birds.

'Reports from the community continue to play an important role in our surveillance efforts and help build a clearer picture of where the disease may be present.'

'Their reports support ongoing surveillance and help ensure samples can be collected and tested as quickly as possible.'

'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.'

'We ask Victorians to avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife, record what they see and report it. Early reporting remains one of the most important tools we have for monitoring the spread of the disease,' Dr Cooke said.

• AVOID contact with sick or dead birds, wildlife or their environment
• RECORD what you see and where you saw it.
• REPORT it to DEECA using the online form or call the Emergency Animal Disease hotline on 1800 675 888.

Report clusters of 5 or more sick or dead wild birds of any species, anywhere in Victoria.

Report even 1 sick or dead:

• wild seabird, waterbird, shorebird or bird of prey
• marine mammal (e.g. seal, sea lion, dolphin).

DEECA staff will also be on-hand at the Portland Visitor Centre today from 11.00 am – 1.30pm to answer any questions from the community about the recent detection.