A major Australian poultry producer has placed all of its Western Australian farming and processing operations under a full lockdown after the country confirmed its second case of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu.
The second case was identified in Esperance, Western Australia, where a northern giant petrel — a migratory seabird — tested positive for the virus after being found on a remote beach. That discovery came just days after a brown skua bird tested positive on Saturday. Together, these represent the first confirmed H5N1 cases ever recorded on the Australian mainland.
The Australian government has pledged to take action to contain the spread of the virus.
The affected company’s breeder farms and grower networks are situated in the Muchea, Gingin, and Mogumber areas, located north of Perth — approximately 690 to 770 kilometres away from Esperance, where the infected birds were found.
As of now, no cases of bird flu have been detected among the company’s commercial poultry, and the business continues to distribute products to the Australian market. The company has described its current posture as a “heightened state of biosecurity vigilance” aimed at reducing any potential risk.
Additionally, the company is requesting a housing order from Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer that would allow its free-range poultry in Western Australia to be moved indoors as a precautionary measure.
The news hit the company’s stock hard, with shares falling as much as 13.8% to A$1.810 — their steepest single-session drop since February 20 and their lowest level in over a month.
