Australia to conduct biosecurity drill on avian influenza outbreak

CANBERRA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — Australia’s ability to respond to an outbreak of a deadly strain of avian influenza will be tested on Monday in a major national exercise, the federal government said on Sunday.
Australia is the only continent that has not recorded a case of the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). According to the federal government, representatives from biosecurity agencies, environmental authorities and industry groups will meet on Monday to test Australia’s response to the H5N1 strain.
A global outbreak of H5N1 has caused the deaths of millions of birds as well as thousands of sea lions and elephant seals in South America. Experts have warned that it will inevitably reach Australia with the spring migration of birds to the country.
Under Exercise Volare, Australian authorities will examine the response to detections of H5N1 HPAI in wildlife populations, with a focus on wild birds and marine mammals.
“We are very concerned about the impact this disease could have on our native wildlife, vulnerable threatened species and broader environment and on our agricultural systems, including on production and trade,” Julie Collins, minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, said in a statement on Sunday.
“While we can’t stop the natural migration patterns of wild birds that may be sick, we can prepare ourselves if that does occur by ensuring we are working together in this national effort to protect Australia,” she said.
This will be the third meeting under the exercise following activities in August that focused on the responsibilities of federal, state and territory governments in the event of an outbreak.
The federal government in July committed 6.9 million Australian dollars (4.6 million U.S. dollars) in funding to improve Australia’s capability to detect and respond to avian influenza in wildlife.
Australians have been advised to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and report any wildlife deaths to authorities to help prevent the potential spread of H5N1. ■