The highly contagious and aggressive H5N1 bird flu virus has been officially confirmed on mainland Australia for the first time. An Antarctic tern found on a remote beach south of Perth tested positive, Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said.
The highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus has been detected on the Australian mainland for the first time, authorities there said on Saturday. TASR informs about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
- The H5N1 bird flu virus has been confirmed on the Australian mainland for the first time.
- The positive test came from a bird found south of Perth.
- The virus has thus already spread to all continents of the world.
- Australia has invested a hundred million dollars to prepare against bird flu.
Positive test from the beach near Perth
According to Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, the Antarctic tern, a type of migratory seabird, tested positive for the disease. The animal was found on a remote beach south of the city of Perth in Western Australia. A positive result means that the virus, which has already infected millions of birds worldwide, has spread to all continents of the world.
“This is a highly pathogenic and worrying strain that circulates around the world, and this is the first time it has been detected on mainland Australia,” Collins said. At the same time, she added that there is currently no evidence of a mass death of animals or of an infection in poultry farms.
Samples from another sick bird in the same region show suspected bird flu and authorities have sent them for confirmatory testing.
Prime Minister Albanese’s reaction
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the case as disturbing, but emphasized that the country is well prepared for the response. “The transmission took place through migratory birds, which in principle happens all over the world. That is exactly why we were preparing for such a situation,” declared the Prime Minister.
Collins pointed to a government investment of 100 million Australian dollars (61.15 million euros) that the state has set aside to prepare for a potential bird flu epidemic. “We watched what was happening overseas and learned from it. That’s why we invested ahead of time,” she added.
The H5 bird flu variant was discovered last year on Heard Island, which is a remote sub-Antarctic territory of Australia. The disease was noticed there after an unusually high number of elephant seals died on the island, located roughly 4,000 kilometers southwest of Perth.
