Australia Declared Free of H7 Bird Flu in Victoria Poultry
Australia has officially declared itself free from the H7 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, in poultry within Victoria. This significant announcement comes after the successful completion of the emergency response to an outbreak earlier this year, with no new cases detected since February 24, 2025.
The Victorian emergency response to the H7N8 HPAI outbreak, which affected four commercial egg farms near Euroa in northern Victoria, has been successfully concluded. On June 13, 2025, Agriculture Victoria announced the eradication of the disease from all affected properties. As a result, quarantine restrictions on these farms and the control area surrounding them have been lifted, removing all associated movement limitations.
Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Beth Cookson, confirmed that a self-declaration of freedom from HPAI in poultry has been submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and was subsequently published by WOAH on June 24, 2025. This provides global transparency on Australia's animal health status and the effectiveness of its biosecurity and response mechanisms.
The H7N8 strain involved in this 2025 outbreak was identified as genetically related to strains found in Australian wild birds, but critically, it was different from the H7 strains that caused outbreaks and were eradicated in Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory in 2024. Furthermore, it is important to note that this H7 strain is unrelated to the highly virulent H5N1 HPAI strain that has caused widespread devastation in poultry and wild bird populations globally. HPAI H7 viruses are also very rarely detected in wild birds worldwide.
The successful eradication efforts involved the rapid implementation of disease response activities, including the depopulation of affected birds and extensive cleaning and disinfection of the sites. Over 100 people were deployed for the decontamination efforts, and comprehensive surveillance, including over 20,000 samples and 21,500 tests, was conducted to confirm the absence of the virus.
While the immediate emergency response has concluded, Australian authorities, including Agriculture Victoria, emphasize the continued importance of vigilance and strong biosecurity practices for all poultry and bird owners. This includes preventing contact between domestic and wild birds, maintaining clean facilities, and reporting any unusual illness or deaths in birds immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.
Australia has a strong track record of successfully containing and eradicating HPAI outbreaks in poultry, having done so multiple times over the last 50 years. This recent success further demonstrates the robustness of the country's national emergency animal disease response arrangements.
Despite the successful eradication, the national egg supply was impacted by the 2024 H7 HPAI outbreaks, and while there has been significant recovery, some gaps in the market remain. Retailers may continue purchasing limits as they manage supply issues, with the industry, retailers, and government working to ensure continued access to eggs across the country. The supply of chicken meat was not impacted by the 2025 H7N8 outbreak.
