A second seabird is undergoing confirmatory testing for highly pathogenic H5 bird flu after Australia recorded its first mainland case of the deadly strain. The giant petrel was found in the same Esperance region where a brown skua was confirmed to carry the virus, which has devastated wildlife globally.
Authorities Ramp Up Surveillance
The second bird is suspected to be positive and is being tested at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. This development has heightened concerns the virus may have spread beyond the first case, though authorities stress there is no evidence of infection in poultry or agricultural systems.
Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth Cookson told Sunrise on Monday that determining the extent of the infection is now the key priority. “We are asking that the community tells us about any reports of sick or dead birds, and that will enable the local authorities trying to take the relevant investigations to determine whether this has spread beyond those birds that we’ve detected so far,” she said.
Uncertainty Over Wildlife Establishment
Dr Cookson said it was still too early to determine whether the virus had become established in Australian wildlife populations. “At this early stage, it is difficult to make a conclusion about whether the infection has established in wildlife populations,” she said.
Emergency response arrangements have been activated, with state and federal authorities ramping up surveillance and monitoring efforts around Esperance and along the wider coastline. A consultative committee for emergency animal diseases has also been convened to consider response measures and identify further spread.
Public Health Advice
While the risk to humans remains low, authorities urge anyone who encounters sick or dead birds not to touch them and instead report sightings to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline. “We continue to be on alert looking for signs of disease,” Dr Cookson said.
The H5 strain has spread across every continent in recent years, causing mass deaths among wild birds and marine mammals and forcing the culling of millions of poultry overseas. Last week, thousands of baby seals died on an Australian island 4000km from the mainland, with bird flu named as the cause of death. The first mainland case was announced just days later.
