Bird Flu in Australia

Moments ago I was watching the late night news, and caught a bit of a story of a reported detection of H5N1 Avian Flu in a part of Victoria. Nothing is on the web as yet that I can find, and right now I don't have access to the Foxtel news services, but what I heard was that an animal had been contaminated, and that samples were being sent to the CSIRO for analysis.

I'm not normally intrested in all this flu stuff, what happens happens, so I don't know if something like this is routine. It's just that I live in Victoria, and am going to be travelling around in just a few days. Any responses?

Did they say what sort of animal is suspected of having the bird flu?

As for directly affecting you - the chances ar close to zero atm. Most of the patients who have been infected with H5N1 have had some recent direct connection with a bird infected with the virus (ie living, working, playing in close surroundings of infected birds) although there are accounts of as yet limited spread within close contacts of human patients

Authorities have quarantined a property near the New South Wales and Victorian border after one of the birds recorded a weak reaction to an avian influenza test.

It is the first time Australian officials have isolated a property in response to concerns about avian flu, which has killed more than 70 people through Asia since 2003.
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran today said the quarantining of the property, near Wentworth, a town on the Murray-Darling River junction just north of Mildura, was a precautionary measure.

The chicken was originally tested by the state laboratory because it was suspected of having the common Marek's disease.

news.com.au
abc.net.au

Sanc'.

Ahhh, thanks. It's just that I'm in a freakin information vacuum here. Agonizingly slow computer and no ownership of the remote.

Just an update on this story. The farm in question has been cleared of Avian influenza.

The Department of Primary Industry in New South Wales is dealing with a high number of reports of major diseases like avian flu and foot and mouth.

Last week a property in Wentworth, on the NSW-Victorian border, was quarantined when tests on dead poultry indicated avian flu.

Although the property was later cleared, it is one of more than 70 reports in the past month, according to the chief vet in NSW, Bruce Christie.

www.abc.net.au/rural/