Bird flu outbreak: Fourth Aussie chicken farm hit by avian influenza as fears for egg supply grow

A fourth chicken farm has been hit by birds flu amid fears the disease could spread across Australia’s poultry industry and lead to a shortage of egg supplies to consumers.

The contagious H7N3 variant of bird flu was discovered on Wednesday at a property in Lethbridge, south-west Victoria.

The virus is said to have spread in a closed and climate-controlled stable housing approximately 120,000 chickens.

The latest outbreak of the disease comes after 80,000 free-range chickens at Farm Pride Foods, a building 900 meters away from the last case, were struck by the virus over the weekend, according to the Geelong Advertiser.

The farm is within an existing 5 kilometer exclusion zone that was put in place after the virus was discovered at a nearby property in May.

A fourth farm (pictured) has been hit by the contagious strain of bird flu, with a property in Lethbridge in south-west Victoria becoming the latest victim of the outbreak

The disease was previously discovered last month on two farms in Meredith and Terang, western Victoria, where about 500,000 birds were slaughtered to stop the spread of the virus.

Bird flu is a highly contagious disease of birds that can cause serious symptoms and death in poultry.

Agriculture Victoria said in a statement yesterday that all four properties have been quarantined.

‘All poultry is removed safely. The sites will be cleaned and cleared of the infection,” the report said.

Restriction and control orders are in place in Meredith, Lethbridge and Terang to limit the movement of poultry and poultry products.

The order also applies to vehicles and equipment on and off properties in the designated areas.

The locked barn where the H7N3 strain of bird flu was found on the Lethbridge farm is home to about 120,000 chickens (stock image)

About 500,000 birds were culled after the disease was discovered last month on two farms in Meredith and Terang, western Victoria (Photo: Health and safety crews at a Meredith farm in May after the contagious strain of the virus was discovered)

Agriculture Victoria said staff are working with affected businesses to contain and eradicate the disease.

The outbreaks of the virus have hit the Golden Plains Shire, the main poultry farming region in regional Victoria.

There are more than 1.5 million free-range, free-range and caged chickens, and approximately two million chicken meat birds on farms in the area.

Farm Pride Foods said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday that about eight percent of their total manufacturing output has been affected.

“The company will seek compensation from the emergency compensation scheme for animal diseases resulting from the removal of these birds,” the company said.

The outbreaks are expected to impact the supply of eggs to consumers in the coming weeks.

Danyel Cucinotta, the vice-president of the Victorian Farmers Federation, told the Guardian: “We expect a huge impact on egg supplies over the next week and are working as hard as we can to maintain availability.”

‘My advice is to look around your local grocer, market or small independent shop to buy your eggs.’

Despite concerns that the virus could potentially be fatal to humans, health officials said the H7N3 variant of bird flu does not pose a major health threat.

Agriculture Victoria says consumers should not worry about supermarket eggs and poultry products as they ‘pose no risk and are safe to consume’.

Health experts have said the H7N3 strain of bird flu does not pose a major health threat, despite fears the virus could be potentially fatal to humans (stock image)