Tasmania’s confirmed bird flu cases have risen to 10 after four more birds from King Island tested positive overnight.
NRE Tas incident controller Wes Ford said two crested terns and two silver gulls from the vicinity of Currie on King Island returned positive results.
Seven of the 10 confirmed cases are on King Island and three are on the north coast of Tasmania.
The positive birds include one brown skua, seven crested terns and two silver gulls from King Island.
Ford said three regional surveillance teams are operating daily, responding to reports from the public.
“If we can get samples to the laboratory by about three in the afternoon, we can typically get those results by 10 at night,” he told ABC Radio this morning.
“So the reality is if we get a call at nine o’clock in the morning from a member of public, by 10 o’clock at night we’ll know whether it’s positive or not.”
More than 160 birds have been submitted to the Animal Health Testing Facility so far, with 10 returning positive results and the rest negative.
Three lower-priority samples are currently in the laboratory awaiting testing.
Ford said lab staff work with vets to triage incoming samples each day, with higher-priority cases moved to the front of the queue.
He urged the public to follow four steps if they encounter a sick or dead bird, avoid it, record its location, take a photo and report it to 1800 675 888.
Ford also directed people to the NRE website and social media channels for regular updates.
“It’s absolutely critical that we get public information and timely public information,” he said.
