Why your neighbour's chickens could KILL you: Fears deadly virus could spread through urban chooks and cause a pandemic

  • Scientists fear domesticated animals could become carriers for deadly viruses 
  • Climate change is forcing bats, which carry diseases like Ebola, into suburbs
  • There are fears that a lack of registration for pet chickens could increase the risk
  • A horse was euthanased in September after contracting Hendra virus from a bat

By Alex Chapman For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

There's a new ticking time bomb in Australian backyards, according to one of the nation's top scientists.

Recent research has found that pet chickens are more at risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases, including the Ebola virus, than ever before.

CSIRO research director for Health and Biosecurity Paul De Barro broke the news, saying the risk is real and something everyone should be aware of.

Pet chickens (pictured) could become carriers for deadly viruses like Ebola, scientists fear

Pet chickens (pictured) could become carriers for deadly viruses like Ebola, scientists fear

A change in wild creatures' behaviours has led to domesticated animals carrying the diseases, Mr De Barro told ABC.

Climate change has forced animals that carry zoonotic diseases to migrate to suburban areas. These diseases include the Ebola and Hendra viruses, the latter of which was recently reported as present in a horse in New South Wales.

The mare was euthanased in September after fears the disease could spread to its owners through the horse's saliva.

'Climate change is also thought to be a factor where you've got animals changing their behaviour; for example, flying foxes are becoming increasingly urbanised — 50 years ago, that wasn't the case,' Dr De Barro said.

He fears that an outbreak would be impossible to contain, due to the lack of registration of pet chickens in most of Australia.

'It could be a few people dying or it could be hundreds of people dying.'

WHAT IS THE EBOLA VIRUS AND HOW DEADLY IS IT? 

Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever, killed at least 11,000 across the world after it decimated West Africa and spread rapidly over the space of two years.

That pandemic was officially declared over back in January 2016, when Liberia was announced to be Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The country, rocked by back-to-back civil wars that ended in 2003, was hit the hardest by the fever, with 40 per cent of the deaths having occurred there.

Sierra Leone reported the highest number of Ebola cases, with nearly of all those infected having been residents of the nation. 

HOW DID HUMANS CONTRACT THE VIRUS?

Scientists believe Ebola is most often passed to humans by fruit bats, but antelope, porcupines, gorillas and chimpanzees could also be to blame.

It can be transmitted between humans through blood, secretions and other bodily fluids of people - and surfaces - that have been infected.

IS THERE A TREATMENT?

The WHO warns that there is 'no proven treatment' for Ebola - but dozens of drugs and jabs are being tested in case of a similarly devastating outbreak.

However, hope exists after an experimental vaccine called rVSV-ZEBOV, protected nearly 6,000 people. The results were published in The Lancet journal. 

Source: World Health Organisation
Advertisement
The deadly Ebola virus (pictured) could be spread to domesticated pets

The deadly Ebola virus (pictured) could be spread to domesticated pets

According to the Department of Health, the risk of contracting Ebola in Australia is still low. 

Outbreaks of the deadly viruses have been minimal in Australia and are usually contained and quarantined immediately.

However, South-East Asian countries are considered a 'hot zone' by Dr De Barro, who says 'spill-over events' are constantly becoming more and more likely. 

But minimising the risk of contraction isn't difficult, according to the scientist.

He says it can be as simple as maintaining good hygeine in pets, frequently washing your hands after handling them, and wearing protective clothing.

Scientists warn that viruses could be spread now that fruit bats (pictured) are migrating to suburban areas due to climate change

Scientists warn that viruses could be spread now that fruit bats (pictured) are migrating to suburban areas due to climate change

Ebola

Most watched News videos