Community
4 July, 2024
Quarantine measures to remain in place
QUARANTINE measures will remain in place for the time being after the recent detection of H7N9 Avian Influenza at a Terang-based poultry farm.
An Agriculture Victoria spokesperson this week confirmed decontamination of the Terang property remains ongoing and impacted businesses need to be cleared of infection before being able to resume business.
“A comprehensive surveillance program has been in place in the restricted and control areas in order to detect the presence of such viruses,” the spokesperson said.
“The detection of infected properties shows that this program is working well to detect infections so they can be eliminated before spreading outside restricted areas.”
The spokesperson said Agriculture Victoria staff are on the ground supporting the affected properties and working closely with poultry owners and industry to contain and eradicate the virus.
There are now eight Victorian poultry farms impacted by the detection of Avian Influenza, seven of which are located in the Golden Plains Shire containment area.
Since the original detection in Terang on May 23, no further local sites have been reported as impacted.
The Agriculture Victoria spokesperson said restricted and control areas remain in place surrounding all infected premises, within both the Corangamite and Golden Plains shires, with no definitive timeline for when the measures are expected to be lifted.
“We understand the uncertainty and concern these detections have caused,” the spokesperson said.
“The movement controls will be in place for as long as needed to manage the disease and give producers peace of mind that the situation is controlled.”
Agriculture Victoria last week held a face-to-face community pop-up session in Terang, providing Avian Influenza information to affected communities including poultry farmers, backyard flock and bird owners.
There are two planned sessions in Terang over the next fortnight which will be held outside the Co-op Supa IGA, 75 High Street, from 11am to 1pm on Friday, July 5 and Friday, July 12.
All bird owners across Victoria are reminded to follow best biosecurity practice such as keeping poultry sheds, yards, aviaries and equipment clean, and excluding wild birds from domestic bird feed and drinking water.
Housing birds by keeping them in cages or sheds is an effective method of minimising direct contact between poultry and wild birds.
All the latest information is available at http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu.
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