Tasmania confirms first case of deadly bird flu

Tasmania has reported its first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu, joining five other states to confirm the virus.

Officials in Tasmania announced the case on Thursday following overnight testing of a brown skua carcass discovered on the north-west coast.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania say it was alerted to the bird carcass by officers from the Parks and Wildlife Service, who have been monitoring coastal areas.

Tasmania’s Primary Industries and Water Minister Gavin Pearce said the government was launching its bird flu response plan.

“As well as a range of other planning documents to aid our response to this challenge,” he said.

“We have worked with the commercial poultry sector to assist them in development of biosecurity preparedness plans and ensuring that they are ready to activate those plans.”

Pearce stressed at this stage there is no evidence of an outbreak in the state.

“There is no evidence of an outbreak and there is no detection in commercial poultry in Tasmania at this time. Human infection of H5 bird flu is extremely rare,” he said.

H5 bird flu landed in mainland Australia for the first time in June via migratory birds but has since spread to local species across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

The risk to human health remains low and Australians are urged not to approach any sick or dead birds and report it.

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Meanwhile, 5000 penguins in Victoria will be vaccinated against bird flu over the next two weeks.

This week new cases have been detected at Phillip Island, Mildura, Warrnambool, Hamilton, St Andrews Beach and Hawkesdale.

Penguins, though, are at higher risk due to how closely they live together, the Victorian government says.

“We can’t stop H5 bird flu circulating in wild birds, but we can take practical steps to protect vulnerable species like our little penguins from its impacts,” Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes said.