Australia on Saturday confirmed its mainland’s first case of the deadly H5 strain of bird flu.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said at a press briefing in Canberra that the disease was found in a migratory sea bird – the brown skua – in a remote part of Western Australia.
This development means that a highly infectious variant of avian influenza is now present on every continent.
“We all knew we couldn’t be free of bird flu forever,” Collins said.
what do we know?
The bird was found near a beach in Cape Le Grand National Park, about 700 kilometers (430 mi) from Perth, the capital of Western Australia.
The test results were confirmed by the national science agency.
“While disappointing, it is not unexpected given the global spread of H5 bird flu,” Collins said.
“I can confirm that there is no evidence of any mass mortality at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in any poultry,” she said.
The H5 strain has caused high mortality rates in poultry and wild birds across the planet.
It has also affected mammals, being detected in animals such as cats, goats, alpacas and pigs.
PM Albanese calls H5 strain of bird flu in Australia worrying
Australia was preparing for the arrival of the variant with tighter biosecurity on farms, testing of coastal birds and vaccination among vulnerable species.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the detection of the cases was worrying, adding that his government would take steps to stop the spread of the disease.
“This is something that has happened through migratory birds, and by definition has happened around the world, and that’s why we’re preparing for it,” he said.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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