Deadly bird flu strain a ‘serious concern’ for wildlife
Australia has been urged to stick to its guns and resist panic as a deadly bird disease approaches the mainland.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected for the first time on the Australian mainland; A sick brown skua found on a remote beach near Esperance, about 700 kilometers southeast of Perth, has been confirmed to carry the disease.
The discovery raised fears among scientists, conservationists and agricultural groups who point to mass mortality events and species-level population declines in overseas outbreaks.
“This is a really serious concern,” UNSW Center for Ecosystem Science ecologist Simon Gorta told AAP.
“But it’s important to stay calm about this.
“There are definitely measures in place to deal with this as best we can, we just have to stick to our guns.”
Australia has spent years observing other countries’ responses and crafting its own plan since the virus began to become a major issue in 2021.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the government knew it could not get rid of bird flu forever and had developed more than 100 plans for key natural areas and susceptible species.
Approximately $100 million has been spent to support preparation.
“Although disappointing, this is not unexpected given the global spread of the H5 avian influenza virus,” he said.
The federal government has confirmed that there is no evidence of mass mortality or infection in poultry or agricultural production systems so far.
However, a second migratory bird (a giant petrel) returned an equivocal positive result for H5.
Seabirds and marine mammals are particularly susceptible to the disease because many breed and gather in large flocks.
The H5 strain was first detected on Australian soil in October on Heard Island, 4000 km southwest of Perth.
An estimated 13,359 southern elephant seal pups died from the disease out of a total population of 17,364 in southern Antarctica.
Mr Gorta said other groups of animals in Australia had not yet been exposed to the virus and although predictive studies were being conducted, the results were unknown.
Many threatened species are also likely to be susceptible, as the deadly strain will combine risk factors that drive them to extinction.
Wildlife groups including the Invasive Species Council and the Australian Marine Conservation Society have called on the government to increase funding to $200 million over two years.
Meanwhile, community members are urged to report and register sick and dead birds and marine mammals to the emergency animal disease hotline.
Western Australian Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis told reporters on Saturday that some calls started coming in on Friday afternoon.
“We all have an important role to play in protecting our wildlife, poultry and other animals,” he said.
There have been some human infections abroad.
However, the risk is low and transmission usually occurs after very close contact with sick or dying animals.
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