First case of H5 bird flu in Australia officially confirmed
A suspected case of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in Western Australia has been confirmed.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins flagged the possible case of H5 yesterday, but confirmed it this morning.
The H5 strain of bird flu reached Heard Island, an extremely remote Australian territory, late last year, and is now confirmed to have reached the mainland. AP
The case is the first of the deadly virus in mainland Australia.
Collins urged people to avoid contact with dead or sick birds.
“We will know within a few days as to whether it has established itself,” she said.
“This is our first detection, and I want to reiterate it is not widespread.”
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What you need to know about the deadly H5 bird flu strain after suspected case in Australia
Collins said there was no indication it was in domesticated poultry populations.
Australia is the last continent in the world to have a H5 case confirmed.
The case is a single migratory wild bird known as the brown skua, which was found sick in a remote part of south-west Western Australia near Esperance.
A test on a giant petrel has also returned a suspected positive result.
A brown skua is the first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in mainland Australia. nna\yashee.sharma
Marine mammals are particularly susceptible to the disease, including seals and sea lions.
Authorities are particularly worried about mass mortality potential among the black swan, the blue-billed duck and the little penguin.
There are dozens of specific plans in place to try to stop the spread among certain animal types.
Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said there were instances of migratory birds with H5 flu that didn’t cause mass deaths.
“Eventually there does tend to be spillover in wild populations,” she said.
“Our populations are naive to the virus.”
Animals that gather and have breeding sites in high densities are most at risk.
“We’re taking this very, very seriously,” Threatened Species Commissioner Fiona Fraser said.
What is H5 bird flu?
The H5 bird flu is a viral disease that mostly affects wild birds but can also infect other mammals.
On rare occasions, the bird flu can affect humans. This only happens if a person has close, unprotected contact with infected birds or livestock.
There has been no confirmed human-to-human transmission of H5 bird flu.
H5N1 is a strain of avian influenza that is highly contagious and highly pathogenic in animals, which means it is likely to cause severe disease or death.
This strain has been spreading globally since 2021.
The birds most affected have been seabirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, birds of prey and other scavengers.
According to the Department of Agriculture, it has been detected in domestic pets such as cats and dogs, farm animals including dairy cows, dolphins, seals and wild foxes.
H5 bird flu symptoms in animals
Wildlife Health Australia states that the symptoms of H5 bird flu in wildlife can vary widely.
Some infected animals may appear weak or unresponsive and display symptoms such as seizures, incoordination or breathing difficulties.
Wild birds with bird flu may be unable to fly and could have a puffed-up appearance.
It is also known to cause sudden death in birds before signs of ill health even show.
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