Australia has warned that the H5N1 bird flu virus is likely to spread further after its first mass die-off in seabirds, killing about 50 crested terns off the southern coast near Adelaide.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said on Monday that tests confirmed the H5N1 virus in a group of 49 dead terns and 35 sick ones, discovered via surveillance helicopter on rocks near Cape Jaffa, 250km from Adelaide, on Friday.
However, there is no evidence yet of the virus on Australian farms, where many facilities have been locked down to protect poultry flocks since the first case was detected in June.
Collins told reporters in Canberra: “Australians should prepare for the possibility of wider spread and increased numbers of affected wildlife.”
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt echoed Collins, saying it is impossible to stop wildlife from “moving.” He said: “The reality is you can't stop native birds and wild birds from flying around, and you can't stop wildlife from moving, which means there will be more mass death events like we've just seen.”
Australia and New Zealand, which recorded its first H5N1 case last month, have spent years preparing for the virus with measures such as tightening biosecurity on farms, testing shorebirds, vaccinating vulnerable species, and building response plans.
The virus has killed hundreds of millions of birds and mammals worldwide in recent years, costing poultry farmers billions of dollars, infecting cattle in the U.S., and leaving beaches strewn with dead birds and seals.
H5N1 bird flu can infect humans through contact with infected animals. However, global case numbers remain small, and officials say the risk to humans is low.
Australia was the last continent to record an H5N1 case.
