Australia Confirms First H5 Wildlife Die-Off, Taking Bird Flu Cases to 78
Updated
Updated · ABC News · Aug 3
Australia Confirms First H5 Wildlife Die-Off, Taking Bird Flu Cases to 78
3 articles · Updated · ABC News · Aug 3
Summary
Baudin Rocks off South Australia became the site of Australia's first confirmed H5 mass wildlife mortality, after dead and sick greater crested terns tested positive following aerial surveillance.
Seventy-eight cases are now confirmed nationwide—58 in South Australia, 10 in Western Australia, seven in Victoria, two in New South Wales and one in Queensland—with officials expecting spread to intensify and reach other species.
Victoria added six new tern cases on Monday and is testing another cluster in the Glenelg River Estuary, while South Australia flagged concern over a positive petrel at the bird-rich Coorong wetland.
Julie Collins said there is still no evidence of infection in poultry and human health risk remains low, even as the national H5 response plan unlocks A$24 million on top of A$113 million already committed.
Officials said migration in coming months will raise transmission risks, with more mortality events likely in wild birds and possible spread into major inland wetlands.