Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal,\nafter the deadly virus was found in a long-nosed fur seal in South\nAustralia. The confirmation comes as the country faces a rise in highly\npathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases since the virus was first\ndetected there in June.<\/p>\n
South Australian authorities confirmed the first detection of the\nvirus in a mammal in the state. The seal was found in the coastal town\nof Beachport, about 310 kilometres south of Adelaide, the state capital.\nAccording to local authorities, the dead seal was part of a population\nestimated at 100,000 in the state\u2019s waters. No signs of injury were\nfound on the carcass.<\/p>\n
Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the seal\u2019s death\ndid not appear to be linked to other sick or dead marine mammals in the\narea. She added that once H5 bird flu spreads in the natural\nenvironment, significant losses are difficult to avoid.<\/p>\n
Australia this month also reported its first mass death of seabirds\nfrom the virus, marking an escalation of an outbreak that began when the\nvirus was first detected in migratory seabirds before spreading to local\nspecies. To date, the virus has not been found in poultry or the\nagricultural sector. The federal government said on Friday that 297\ncases had been confirmed nationwide.<\/p>\n
Australia became the last continent to report bird flu cases,\nalthough the virus had been detected in late 2025 on Heard Island, a\nsub-Antarctic territory under Australian administration. According to\nlocal media, more than 13,000 seal pups died from the virus on Heard\nIsland.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australia-confirms-first-h5n1-bird-flu-case-in-mammal-1787475057", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }