Australia warns H5N1 likely to spread after first mass mortality episode

What the report says

Australia has warned that H5N1 bird flu is likely to spread further after the country recorded its first mass mortality event involving seabirds. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said testing confirmed the virus in 49 dead and 35 sick greater crested terns found by helicopter surveillance on rocks off Cape Jaffa, south of Adelaide, in South Australia. The affected birds were reported as having died in a group of roughly 50, according to Al Jazeera’s report.

The government said there is no evidence so far that the virus has reached Australian farms, where many poultry operations have already tightened biosecurity since H5N1 was first detected in June. Collins told reporters in Canberra that more wildlife cases should be expected. Environment Minister Murray Watt also said wild birds and animals cannot be prevented from moving around, making additional mortality events likely.

The outbreak adds to broader international concern about H5N1, which has caused major losses among birds and mammals in recent years. Al Jazeera noted that Australia and New Zealand have spent years preparing for the disease through surveillance, farm protections, vaccination efforts for vulnerable species and response planning. Public health officials generally describe the risk to humans as low, though infection can occur through close contact with infected animals. Australia had been the last continent to report a case of H5N1 bird flu.