Wildlife carnage from devastating bird flu virtually inevitable
The first case of the highly contagious H5 bird flu has been confirmed in Australia, and experts and officials say it is almost inevitable that the virus will emerge in wild populations and could push native birds and mammals to the brink of extinction or beyond.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced on Saturday that H5 infection had been confirmed in a dead Brown Skua found in Cape Le Grand National Park in southwestern Western Australia. A Giant Petrel found nearby also returned a positive result and further confirmation testing is ongoing.
The H5 virus is particularly virulent and lethal, killing millions of birds worldwide, including seabirds, penguins, waterfowl, and birds of prey, and nearly wiping out entire colonies of some aquatic mammals, such as seals.
“This will be worrying news for many Australians, like me, who have strong ties to wildlife,” said Collins, who has ministerial responsibility for biosecurity.
Only two birds have tested positive for H5 and there have been no outbreaks of the virus in wildlife or farm birds, but Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said infected birds would continue to arrive in Australia.
The two infected birds come from beneath Antarctica, and many species migrate to Australia from Europe and Asia during the summer months.
“If it doesn’t show up this time, that doesn’t mean we won’t continue to see sick migratory birds contracting this virus,” Cookson said.
Jack Gough, chief executive of the Invasive Species Council, said the H5 outbreak “could be one of the biggest wildlife disasters Australia has ever faced”.
“If this strain of bird flu spreads to Australia, we can expect carnage when it comes to our birds and other wildlife populations,” Gough said.
“Look at the 95 percent mortality rate of seal pups in South America. Colonies of elephant seal pups collapsed when they arrived at Heard Island.”
Bird flu hit South America in 2022, killing more than 30,000 South American sea lions, 17,000 southern elephant seal pups, and an unknown number of porpoises, dolphins, and otters, as well as at least 650,000 native birds.
“There has been a decline in bird populations of between 30 per cent and 70 per cent. There are horrific images of islands in the UK with very large bird communities last year, and the next islands look almost bare,” Gough said.
Dr Emma Grant, from the La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, said the risk to human health was low.
“Globally, human infections with H5N1 are rare and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission,” Grant said.
Given that migratory birds traveling to Australia had already brought bird flu to every continent and most corners of the world, it was thought inevitable that the virus would hit Australia.
The federal government has been praised by environmental groups for its virus preparedness efforts.
The Albanian government allocated $113 million to preparations to deal with the H5 infestation; He emphasized that teams quickly dispose of carcasses of infected animals to prevent further spread and prevent farm poultry from mixing with wild birds.
There may also be potential to protect endangered species; such as bringing some of those most at risk into captivity to ensure the survival of the species.
The virus has been circulating in the northern hemisphere for decades, but its effects on Australian animals are unpredictable. Many bird and mammal families native to the country have never come into contact with H5.
“We cannot overstate how important this moment is for Australian wildlife. This virus has devastated wildlife populations overseas,” BirdLife Australia CEO Kate Millar said.
“This could be the beginning of a long fight to protect Australia’s birds and wildlife.”
Black swans are particularly vulnerable in captivity in the northern hemisphere. They are not a threatened species, but experts fear they face major risk of wild population loss from an epidemic.
The government has plans to prevent the extinction of vulnerable animals such as the Tasmanian devil, which is a scavenger, and endangered birds such as the orange-bellied parrot, which numbers fewer than 100 in the wild.
The public is encouraged to look for signs of bird flu in wild and domestic animals.
The government says people who see multiple sick or dead birds and other animals should not touch them but instead record their location and call 1800 675 888.
Symptoms of bird flu in wild birds include sudden death, difficulty breathing, difficulty standing, walking or flying, and unusual posture.
Look for sudden death in poultry, decreased egg production, lethargy, swelling of the head or limbs, bruising, and breathing problems.
In mammals, bird flu is manifested by sudden death, weakness and lethargy, difficulty breathing and walking, as well as drooling, seizures, tremors and walking in circles.
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Mike Foley is the climate and energy correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
