Exercise Eleusis to test NSW DPI's bird flu preparedness this week

About 64 staff from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) will take part in Exercise Eleusis this week, the national exercise which is designed to test the agricultural sector’s preparedness for Avian Influenza (or bird flu).

NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Bruce Christie, said NSW will play a key role in the exercise which will test national capabilities to deal with a hypothetical outbreak of the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu.

Dr Christie said the exercise was an excellent opportunity for DPI staff to not only test their own emergency disease response skills, but their ability to work cooperatively and effectively with other key government and industry organisations.

“There will be a lot of focus on the ability of our staff to work closely with their counterparts from NSW Health, as well as important supporting agencies such as the NSW Food Authority,” he said.

“An outbreak of this type of serious agricultural disease, which also has the potential to affect people, requires a whole of government response which NSW DPI would coordinate as the initial lead agency.

“Exercise Eleusis gives us an excellent opportunity to test current procedures and response plans to make sure they are as efficient and timely as possible.

“While this is not a pass or fail exercise, it will potentially identify areas that need to be improved to ensure Australia and NSW are as best prepared as possible to provide a fast and efficient response in the case of any real outbreak.”

Dr Christie said it was important the industry and general community in particular understood Exercise Eleusis is only a hypothetical desktop exercise, and is not to be confused with an actual disease outbreak.

“Those staff taking part in the exercise will be carrying out many of their normal response procedures such as quarantine and movement control plans; however, these will be on paper only,” he explained.

“There will be no deployment in the field of any officers or equipment.”

Dr Christie said the majority of staff involved in the exercise would be based at the State Disease Control Headquarters (SDCHQ) in the department’s head office in Orange. There will also be staff based at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) in Sydney to help coordinate the whole of government component.

NSW Health staff will operate from a number of locations in Sydney. NSW poultry industry representatives will be based at both Orange and Sydney for the exercise, as well as Canberra.

In the scenario developed for Exercise Eleusis, NSW will be one of three ‘states’ affected by outbreaks of Avian Influenza, with the NSW outbreak originating in the Camden area on Sydney’s outskirts.

“This exercise is just one of a number of initiatives currently being undertaken by DPI and NSW Health in a bid to ensure we are well prepared to manage any necessary response to contain and eradicate an actual outbreak of bird flu,” Dr Christie said.

“Australia has successfully eradicated five previous outbreaks of the less virulent H7 strain of Avian Influenza, including one in the Tamworth area back in 1997.

“Learning from these and other emergency disease operations mean the State’s agriculture sector is ready, willing and able to fight Avian Influenza should an outbreak occur.

“While experts stress the risk of the virulent H5N1 strain entering Australia remains low, plans are in place in the unlikely event it does reach our shores.”

The State’s agricultural response plan includes:

  • A first response team of nearly 200 staff from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Rural Lands Protection Boards, with another 200 back-up staff;
  • An animal disease surveillance unit comprising more than 45 field veterinarians;
  • A network of world-class diagnostic laboratories to provide vital testing services in the case of a suspected presence of Avian Influenza in Australian birds;
  • Protective equipment for first response teams, including protective overalls, goggles, face masks and gloves – with emergency arrangements in place to secure more supplies if needed;
  • An Emergency Animal Disease Hotline (1 800 675 888) where any suspected cases of Avian Influenza can and should be reported; and
  • Coordination with national agencies through the AUSVET Plan and the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases.

If Avian Influenza is detected, emergency disease control centres would be established and immediate steps taken to destroy all commercial birds at affected properties.  The Exotic Diseases of Animals Act would provide Government with the power to impose whatever movement restrictions are required to contain and eradicate the disease.

Exercise Eleusis is Australia’s second major national pest and disease emergency simulation, following on from Exercise Minotaur in 2002, which simulated a widespread outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD).

Media contacts: Trudy Glasgow 0427 217 354 or Brett Fifield 0427 029 511