The avian influenza outbreak at Euroa has ended.

The outbreak, which began in February, affected four commercial poultry properties.

There have been no new cases of H7N8 bird flu since February 24.

Agriculture Victoria said disease eradication activities have been successful, allowing authorities to remove quarantine from the infected properties and lift the control area that has been in place around Euroa for more than four months.

As a result, there are no longer movement restrictions around the four properties.

Victoria’s acting chief veterinary officer Sally Salmon said the disease was eradicated thanks to the hard work of the poultry industry, local bird owners and the wider community.

“Early reporting from the first affected business meant we could act quickly, and their ongoing co-operation with all elements of the response has been a major factor in achieving eradication,” Dr Salmon said.

Once the affected birds had been removed from the properties, more than 100 people were deployed to clean and disinfect each site.

Dr Salmon also thanked bird owners across the region for their support during the response.

“Thanks to local residents, we visited 350 properties, took 20,600 samples and completed 21,500 tests for the virus,” Dr Salmon said.

“Surveillance is key to gathering the evidence to show that the disease hasn’t spread. We couldn’t have done this without the help of bird and poultry owners.”

Local businesses also played an important role by supporting response staff.

Food and fuel, accommodation, cleaning and security services, equipment hire and repair and maintenance supplies were provided to keep the response moving.

The initial outbreak came just a few days after the Federal Government announced Australia was officially bird flu-free after there had been no detections of H7 avian influenza since July 2024.

Now that the emergency response has concluded, poultry and bird owners across Victoria are reminded to continue to follow good biosecurity practices. This includes:

Every producer should have a biosecurity plan and know the signs of disease.

If you see unexplained bird deaths, report them to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or contact your local vet.

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Sunday, 25th May 2025

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