Australia has lost its status as the last continent free from the deadly H5 bird flu strain after scientists confirmed the virus in a wild seabird.
The discovery means the highly contagious virus has now been detected on every continent. Moreover, authorities are already considering emergency measures to prevent a wider outbreak.
The first confirmed case was found in a brown skua in remote Western Australia. Meanwhile, another seabird from the same area has also returned a suspected positive result.
Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced the development on Saturday. She said the findings had been confirmed by the country’s national science agency after laboratory testing.
According to Collins, samples collected from a migratory brown skua tested positive for the H5 strain. In addition, a giant petrel found nearby is also being investigated after showing signs of infection.
Australia had remained the only continent without a confirmed case of the virus. However, health experts had long warned that the arrival of the disease was only a matter of time due to global bird migration patterns.
“Whilst disappointing, this is not unexpected, given the global spread of the H5 bird flu,” Collins told reporters in Canberra.
Despite the discovery, officials said there is currently no evidence of widespread bird deaths within Australia. Furthermore, no poultry infections have been reported so far.
“I can confirm there is still no evidence of any mass mortalities at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in any poultry,” she said.
An emergency meeting involving agriculture and animal health officials has already been held. Therefore, authorities are now reviewing a coordinated national response.
“We all knew we couldn’t be bird flu-free forever,” Collins added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also addressed the situation. He described the development as concerning but stressed that preparations had already been made.
“This is something that has happened through migratory birds, and has happened by definition around the world, and this is why we are preparing for this,” he said.
The H5 Bird Flu Australia detection has renewed concerns about the country’s unique wildlife. Many species found in Australia exist nowhere else in the world.
Experts fear the virus could place additional pressure on already vulnerable animal populations.
Australia’s Threatened Species Commissioner, Fiona Fraser, said plans have been prepared to safeguard vulnerable wildlife through captive breeding programs.
“There could clearly be population-level impacts for our species,” Fraser said.
The confirmed case was detected about 630 kilometres southeast of Perth. Meanwhile, investigators are examining whether migratory birds carried the virus into Australia from the sub-Antarctic region.
The virus has already caused devastating losses globally. It has affected poultry, wild birds, and several mammal species. In addition, infections have been recorded in seals, cats, goats, pigs, and alpacas.
Recent reports also revealed that more than 13,000 elephant seal pups died after an outbreak on the remote Heard and McDonald Islands.
