According to the report, poultry farmers in Victoria have decimated their livestock, being forced to wipe out over 400,000 turkeys, chickens, and emus out of fear they could be a great risk of transmitting the contagion. The Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group made a statement that the loss would be devastating for both large and small producers “not just emotionally but financially as well.”
Australia’s Agriculture Minister David Littleproud responded with sympathy to the news, assuring that the government understands “the impact of the difficult decisions that need to be made.” The bird flu was first discovered at an emu farm and an egg farm in Victoria in late-July forcing Authorities to place the facility in quarantine while issuing advisories to local farmers.
While most bird flu is only deadly to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants, and ostriches, some are dangerous to humans, most notably the H5N1 strain, which can infect humans. The reported mortality rate is around 60 percent, according to the World Health Organization.
