Heard Island: H5 bird flu detected in animals 4000km off Australian coast
Highly pathogenic H5 bird flu has been detected in many wildlife species in sub-Antarctic Australian territory, a federal minister has warned Australia must “remain focused” on preparing for potential outbreaks.
Bird flu primarily affects birds but can also infect mammals and poses a threat to livestock industries if it crosses Australian shores.
In February, the disease was found in animals living on Heard Island, an extremely remote area located 4000 km southwest of Perth and 1700 km north of Antarctica.
This comes after the disease was detected in southern seals in November.
Australian Antarctic Program scientists made the discovery after testing species such as the southern monk seal, Antarctic fur seal and gentoo penguin at CSIRO’s Australian Center for Disease Preparedness.
These samples were collected as part of the icebreaker RSV Nuyina’s second voyage to Heard Island, returning to Hobart on 3 February.
Comprehensive biosecurity measures were implemented for these samples, as well as for all returning passengers, cargo, equipment and clothing, to ensure that potential biosecurity risks were well managed.
Scientists were not surprised by the results, which are consistent with what is known about the spread of H5 bird flu through direct contact or shared environments.
Australia is free of the H5 strain of bird flu amid a worldwide pandemic.
“Biosecurity is a shared responsibility and Australia’s success depends on close collaboration between governments, industry, communities and individuals,” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins said.
“Our government takes the threat of H5 bird flu seriously, which is why we are investing more than $100 million to strengthen preparedness against bird flu and improve national response capacity.”
Environment Minister Murray Watt also backed Australian scientists, saying they were “at the forefront of monitoring the global spread of bird flu”.
“This includes our researchers working in Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and the sub-Antarctic, sometimes in harsh conditions away from their families and friends for weeks and months,” he said.
“The Albanian government continues to support and prioritize urgent work across Australia to protect threatened species and biodiversity and improve the resilience of our most at-risk species in nature.”
