Australia confirms first case of H5 bird flu

Australia has confirmed its first case of the H5 strain of bird flu, making it the last continent to record the highly contagious virus.

 

The country’s Agriculture Minister, Julie Collins, announced on Saturday that the virus was detected in a migratory brown skua in remote Western Australia, with the result confirmed by the national science agency.

 

She added that samples taken from a giant petrel had also returned a suspected positive result.

 

Collins said the development, though disappointing, was not unexpected given the global spread of the H5 strain.

 

She, however, assured the public that there was no evidence of mass bird deaths or infections among poultry.

 

“Whilst disappointing, this is not unexpected, given the global spread of the H5 bird flu. I can confirm there is still no evidence of any mass mortalities at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in any poultry,” she said.

 

Australian authorities have convened an emergency meeting of animal health and agriculture officials to coordinate a national response to the outbreak.

 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the development as concerning, saying the government was prepared to take measures to contain the spread of the virus.

 

The H5 strain has caused widespread outbreaks in poultry, wild birds and several mammal species across the world, with waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds and birds of prey among the most affected.

 

The virus has also been detected in marine mammals, cats, goats, alpacas and pigs.

 

Earlier this week, Australian scientists reported that the H5 strain killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups on a sub-Antarctic island that forms part of Australia’s external territories.