How is avian influenza treated?

There is no treatment for birds that have the disease.

Vaccinating the birds & Biosecurity play a role in reducing & eliminating the spread of the disease.

How is avian influenza transmitted and spread?

Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are natural reservoirs of influenza viruses. They are not normally affected by the disease, but can still transmit it to domestic birds. The disease can spread to birds through contact with infected poultry and poultry products. It can also spread through contaminated manure, litter, clothing, footwear, vehicles, equipment, feed and water.

It is essential for commercial poultry producers to use strict biosecurity practices in order to prevent introduction of the virus to their flock. Farmers should take the following measures:

• Keep poultry away from areas frequented by wild birds.
• Maintains strict control over access to poultry houses.
• Make sure that equipment is cleaned and disinfected before taking it into poultry houses.
• Do not keep bird feeders or create duck ponds close to poultry barns because they attract wild birds.
• Maintain high sanitation standards.

Protecting Poultry Against Wild Birds

Wild birds should not be killed to fight bird flu, put an effective control and surveillance system into place to ensure that contact between wild birds and poultry is avoided or at least monitored. Ensure that poultry pens and drinking water supplies cannot be contaminated by migrating birds. If this cannot be done, then make the drinking water safe, by appropriate treatment, if necessary.

What is done to protect domestic poultry from avian influenza?

Strict regulations on the import of animals and animal products from countries where avian influenza is known to occur. These regulations are enforced through port-of-entry inspections done by AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service).

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations. This means that all suspected cases must be reported for immediate investigation by inspectors.

Prevention and Early Warning

There are a wide range of AI viruses continuously circulating within wild bird populations. The majority of these do not cause serious illness in animals or humans. The first lines of defense against an outbreak of AI in domestic poultry are prevention measures and early warning systems. These measures include:

Surveillance

The Australian Government uses two different bird surveillance programs to detect AI viruses posing threats to domestic poultry at the earliest possible moment. The first program targets wild birds; the second one focuses on domestic flocks.

Import Controls

These measures are consistent with guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and provide a foundation for safe trade while protecting animal and human health.

The enhanced measures include new quarantine and inspection requirements for both the exporting country and the Australian importer.

Read More on ViralFX™ - Avian Influenza