Australia's endangered mammals, including the eastern quoll, face a new threat from the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, prompting federal funding for protective measures. The virus, which has killed mammals globally, was confirmed in two seabirds in Western Australia last week, with a third case detected in South Australia.
Wildlife Health Australia national coordinator Tiggy Grillo expressed concern for marine mammals like seals and sea lions, as well as scavengers such as Tasmanian devils and quolls that may eat infected birds. The Virginia opossum in North America is the only marsupial known to have died from H5N1 so far.
The federal government has allocated millions through the Funding Preparedness initiative to protect about 10 marsupial species, including Tasmanian devils, western and eastern quolls, and numbats. Scavenging behavior, low population numbers, and genetic diversity issues heighten the risk.
University of Tasmania wildlife immunologist Andy Flies noted that Tasmanian devils may have a depleted immune response due to fighting devil facial tumor disease, which has reduced their wild population by 80% to 10,000–15,000 individuals. University of Sydney biologist Carolyn Hogg added that low immune diversity makes them vulnerable to novel diseases.
The risk for Tasmanian devils lies in consuming dead birds on beaches and then traveling inland, potentially spreading the virus. Captive breeding programs in Tasmania have received funding for biosecurity improvements. Western quolls, or chuditch, near the infection site in Western Australia are also at risk, with the state government receiving funding for preparedness planning.
