Australia Confirms First Mass Wildlife Deaths from H5 Bird Flu

The Australian government has confirmed the first mass deaths of wild animals linked to the deadly H5 bird flu, with dead crested terns found at Baudin Rocks, an island off the south-eastern coast of South Australia, according to local media reports on Monday (3/8).

The dead and sick birds were detected on Friday (31/7) during aerial surveillance at Baudin Rocks, around 5 kilometres south of Cape Jaffa, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

ABC said samples collected from the site were later confirmed positive for the H5 avian influenza virus. Australia, which had remained the only continent free of the deadly virus until 14 June, has since only detected bird flu in migratory subantarctic seabirds, mostly giant petrels, found along the coasts of South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales.

The country has recorded 74 confirmed cases of the virus so far, including 54 in South Australia, 10 in Western Australia, seven in Victoria, two in New South Wales and one in Queensland.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the mass deaths had been anticipated. “Unfortunately, we know that once H5 bird flu spreads in wildlife and the natural environment, it is impossible to avoid significant losses, as we are beginning to see now,” Collins said.

Collins added that there was no evidence of bird flu in poultry or farming systems, and the risk to human health remained low. “We have invested and worked very closely with our agriculture sector, particularly the poultry sector, on improving and strengthening biosecurity to do everything we can to prevent it from entering our farming system,” Collins said. “But you are likely to see transmission impacts right across the world in relation to H5,” she added.

Collins said Australians could expect bird flu to continue spreading, with greater numbers of wildlife affected. “The reality is you cannot stop native and wild birds flying, and you cannot stop wild animals moving, and that will mean more mass death events like the one we are seeing now,” said Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt.

Watt added that this was the beginning of what is likely to be a long and difficult journey in terms of the impact on wildlife. He said the national management plan for H5 bird flu had been activated, with an additional 24 million dollars (Rp303 billion) in funding from state and federal governments.