Viral fragments of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever have been detected in imported meat, as Australia's government introduces new measures to wash shoes at international airports.
Both diseases have spread through Asia and a widespread outbreak of either livestock disease in Australia could cost the economy billions of dollars.
FMD fragments found in imported meat in Melbourne
Announcing the introduction of citric foot mats at airports Australia's Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said biosecurity authorities had recently discovered viral fragments of FMD and African swine fever in pork products using "routine retail surveillance" exercises.
"We have detected FMD and African swine fever viral fragments in a small number of pork products for sale in the Melbourne CBD that were imported from China," Mr Watt said.
"In addition, several other pork products for retail sale have tested positive for African swine fever viral fragments."
"I'm advised that all products now of this kind have been seized from all linked supermarkets and a warehouse in Melbourne as well," he said.
It is not the first time that fragments of African swine fever and FMD have been found in imported meat products in Australia.
It is the first time that meat products have been seized from a supermarket or retail outlet following detection of FMD or African swine fever fragments.
It is unclear how frequently biosecurity officials undertake surveillance beyond Australia's ports, airports and mail centres.
Mr Watt says the fragments, which are not the same as the live virus, do not pose a threat to human health and that Australia remains free from FMD and African swine fever.
"We have always said that animal-product imports are actually the biggest risk of FMD entering our country. There is a risk that it can be brought back in by a traveller on their shoes, but the advice I've received is that the biggest risk is actually the importation of animal products," he said.
Mr Watt also said biosecurity officials discovered a passenger recently travelling from Indonesia to Australia who was "intercepted with a beef product that they didn't declare, which tested positive for FMD viral fragments".
Mr Watt said the "disturbing discovery" showed that biosecurity measures are working.
A statement from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry later clarified the fragments had been detected in just one meat sample.
"Pork floss is a processed, dried meat product that can be imported if it meets strict import conditions that mitigate the risk of exotic diseases, including African swine fever and FMD. The product was processed, but investigations have not found evidence that the treatment was to Australia's requirements.
"Out of an abundance of caution, officers have seized product from all linked supermarkets and a warehouse in Melbourne."
The concern about viral fragments is that they could be unwillingly fed to livestock, potentially spreading disease.
"If pigs in Australia were to eat that (contaminated meat) that would be a risk of the virus then being transmitted to Australian pigs and potentially then to other animals as well. So that's the nature of the risk," Mr Watt explained.
It is illegal to feed meat, animal products or imported dairy products to pigs in Australia.
Citric mats to be rolled out
Speaking in Brisbane this afternoon Mr Watt announced new sanitation foot mats – believed to be an Australian first – will be in place at all of the country's international airports, with Cairns and Darwin airports to install the mats within days.
"They're foot mats that people will walk over," he said.
"They are sprayed with citric acid, which will dislodge dirt from the sole of people's shoes and cover it in acid."
Mr Watt said that the citric acid in the foot mats would be safe for human contact.
There have been calls in previous weeks to introduce foot baths that use a chemical solution to wash shoes at airports.
But Mr Watt said that went against the advice he'd received from biosecurity experts at the Department of Agriculture.
"The chemicals that need to be used in foot baths are not the kind of things that you want coming into contact with human skin," he said.
"Depending on which chemical you use, the footwear needs to be dipped in the solution for up to half an hour. So again, not a very practical move at an airport.
"Citric acid … is a safe and effective way of dislodging that dirt from people's shoes [and] treating their shoes."
Livestock diseases pose varied risk
FMD has been found in countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America. Australia has been free of the disease for more than a century.
Scientists have estimated an 11.6 per cent probability of an FMD outbreak in Australia in the next five years.
The risk of an African swine fever outbreak in that period is 21 per cent. For lumpy skin disease, it is 28 per cent.
Wednesday's announcement follows a $14 million biosecurity commitment announced by the government last week.
