A new outbreak of the bird flu has been detected in a commercial egg farm near Sydney’s Hawkesbury area. A lockdown zone was initially set around the farm after the discovery of the virus on Wednesday.
Bio-security experts then confirmed that another farm was affected by the disease.
A laboratory analysis conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) revealed that the H7N8 bird flu strain was the same one that was detected on the other farm.
Bird flu is a highly contagious disease that affects mainly birds and has a mortality rate of over 90%.
This strain is different from the one that was identified in the outbreaks in Victoria and other countries.
New South Wales’ Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty praised the quick response of the authorities in identifying and testing the new outbreak.
Around 87,000 birds are expected to be destroyed as a preventive measure against the spread of the disease.
The food safety of poultry and eggs is maintained through proper handling and preparation.