A COMMERCIAL duck farm on two sites north-west of Melbourne are in quarantine after birds tested positive to Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
Department of Primary Industries chief veterinary officer Andrew Cameron said tests had returned positive to low pathogenic H5 subtype avian influenza virus, prompting authorities to act.
The cases were detected during routine testing for other conditions.
"Avian Influenza, also referred to as AI or 'bird flu', is a contagious disease that affects birds. The transmission of the AI virus from birds to humans is a rare event," said Dr Cameron.
"This low pathogenic subtype of avian influenza is not the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus affecting poultry and humans throughout much of Asia. The wider community is not at risk from this incident.
"The virus is relatively harmless now, but we do not want to take the risk it could linger in bird populations and mutate overtime to a more virulent strain."
Dr Cameron said arrangements would be made to humanely put down the ducks.
"Control of this disease is taking place under a nationally agreed framework which involves industry, the Commonwealth and all State and Territory governments," Dr Cameron said.
"The team has already begun tracking all movements to and from the affected enterprises and is checking poultry and ducks on other properties in the surrounding districts.
"Three previous Australian outbreaks of avian influenza in Victoria – the most recent in 1992 - have been successfully eradicated. We will take every reasonable measure to ensure this outbreak is similarly contained to the premises involved.
"While the source of the latest outbreak has not been confirmed, the virus may have been
introduced from wild waterfowl in which influenza viruses are known to circulate."
