July 22, 2013

A consignment of over 4,000 fancy breed chickens at the Torrens Island Avian Quarantine Facility in South Australia were detected to have a strain of salmonella which is currently not present in Australia.

Salmonella pullorum presents a significant risk to Australia's poultry industry. It is a serious disease that can cause death, wasting and reproductive issues in flocks. If it were to become established in Australia it could significantly damage an industry worth over US$2.5 billion to our economy.

The consignment has been housed as a single flock, which means all animals in the consignment have been exposed to the disease. As there is no effective treatment option, the decision has been made to humanely euthanize the animals under supervision of qualified veterinarians.

While unfortunate, the detection demonstrates that Australia's biosecurity system is working; this is what quarantine is designed to do. All animals entering Australia are subject to rigorous health and quarantine checks under the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's strict import conditions.

The import protocols, which have been in place since 1998, require an absence of disease for the chickens to pass quarantine. Importers are made aware of the requirements when issued an import permit.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is the Australian Government authority that manages animal imports.