After being detected for the very first time in two seabirds in Western Australia less than a week ago, the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has also arrived in a second state – with a case confirmed in South Australia.

For humans – especially those who don’t come into close contact with infected animals – the risk of getting sick is low. But Australia’s multibillion-dollar poultry sector is on high alert.

A severe outbreak wouldn’t just mean the possible deaths of millions of birds (either from the virus itself or due to culls to contain it). It could also lead to export bans on Australian poultry products and create huge costs for producers to decontaminate affected farms, despite government support.

It’s important to emphasise that at this stage, H5N1 has not been detected in any commercial poultry farms or native and endemic wild birds in Australia.

So, how are we preparing to deal with a possible outbreak? And if one happens, what could it mean at the checkout for the price of chicken, eggs and other poultry products?

Read more: Bird flu has spread to two Australian states. Here’s how it could accelerate our extinction crisis

Around the country, but especially in WA and SA, the poultry industry has already begun increasing biosecurity measures as a precaution.

Inghams, for example, Australia’s largest poultry producer, has locked down its operations in WA,........

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