SYDNEY, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Farmers in Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, on Monday called for urgent biosecurity action to protect against the threat of avian influenza.
The Victorian Farmers' Federation (VFF) said that more must be done to prepare Australia for the potential arrival of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
Australia is the only continent in the world that has not had a confirmed case of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, the current outbreak of which has caused the deaths of tens of millions of animals around the world.
Danyel Cucinotta, vice-president of the VFF, said the strain has the ability to devastate Victoria's poultry industry and the state's native wildlife.
"Biosecurity is a shared responsibility. While government action is crucial, farmers must also remain vigilant and assess their own biosecurity processes and systems," she said in a statement. "It's important that farmers review their infrastructure and consider potential modifications to reduce the risk of disease entering or spreading within their operations."
The VFF is working with the Victorian state government and the state's Chief Veterinary Officer to assess the current preparedness for an outbreak of H5N1 and review the response to an outbreak of the H7 strain of avian influenza in June, she said.
More than 1 million birds were culled to prevent the spread of the virus.
Experts have warned that the arrival of H5N1 in Australia is inevitable and that it will likely be brought to the country as migratory birds arrive for the spring. ■
