Australia confirms first mainland case of H5N1 bird flu

The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has reached the Australian mainland after tests confirmed a brown skua found unwell at Cape Le Grand national park near Esperance in southern Western Australia died from H5N1. Tests in WA suggested a sick giant petrel found in the same area was also infected, and samples from the petrel were being sent to the CSIRO’s laboratory for confirmation.

The highly pathogenic strain has killed millions of birds globally and crossed into mammal species including elephant seals. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the arrival of H5N1 “concerning” but said the government had spent $113m preparing and was focused on limiting its spread.

Agriculture minister Julie Collins promised a nationally coordinated response to determine whether the disease had established itself in wildlife or was limited to migratory birds, and said there was no evidence so far of mass mortalities or infection of any poultry.

Australia, Esperance, Western Australia

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