AUSTRALIA – Australia is grappling with a severe bird flu outbreak, with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) spreading across poultry farms in Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.
The outbreaks, which began in May this year, have led to significant culls and a subsequent shortage of eggs, leaving the country on edge.
“The bird flu situation in Australia is increasingly alarming, particularly due to the threat posed by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 strain, which has not yet reached the continent,” said Dr. Vinod Balasubramaniam, a molecular virologist at Monash University’s Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Malaysia.
Professor Adrian Esterman, head of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of South Australia, says this concern is compounded by the current outbreak involving multiple highly pathogenic strains such as H7N3, H7N9, and H7N8.
The ongoing H5N1 outbreak worldwide has impacted a broader range of bird species and led to considerable losses in wild bird populations and poultry flocks.
“The disease has also spread to a wide range of wild and domestic animals, including several cow herds in the US,” Esterman told China Daily.
Despite the low risk to humans at present, the potential for widespread transmission among mammals and spillover to humans remains a concern.
Dr. Balasubramaniam emphasized the importance of understanding the virology and pathogenesis of avian influenza to track the virus’s evolution, develop effective vaccines, and implement appropriate public health measures.
He highlighted the critical role of continuous surveillance to monitor genetic mutations and the potential for human-to-human transmission.
“H5N1 is considered the most pathogenic HPAI strain, causing severe infections and high mortality rates,” he noted.
Guarding against potential devastation
Since 2003, there have been 878 human cases of H5N1 globally, resulting in 458 deaths across 23 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Analysts warn that it is only a matter of time before H5N1 reaches Australia.
The Australian government has established a comprehensive framework to address the potential threat of H5N1, which includes stringent biosecurity measures, vaccination strategies, and robust public health infrastructure.
However, Dr. Balasubramaniam argued that the allocated funding of A$7 million (approximately US$4.6 million) is inadequate given the scale of potential devastation.
Professor Robert Booy, an infectious diseases and vaccine expert at the University of Sydney, pointed out that despite the presence of three different bird flu strains in Australia, the key issue remains that bird flu is not easily transmitted between humans.
Nonetheless, some countries, including Finland and the United States, are stockpiling antivirals as a precaution.
The current H7 strain affecting Australian poultry farms has already led to the culling of approximately 1.8 million commercial birds, incurring costs exceeding A$40 (US$26.17) million.
Emerging evidence suggests climate change exacerbates the spread of zoonotic viruses such as H5N1. Altered global climate conditions are shifting avian migratory patterns, leading to the emergence of diseases in previously unaffected regions.
Higher temperatures and extreme weather events are driving significant population shifts among temperate species, resulting in novel and unexpected viral configurations.
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