A deadly case of bird flu has reached one of Australia’s sub-Antarctic islands, the federal government has confirmed.
The confirmation on Tuesday comes after researchers from the Australian Antarctic Program observed unusually high mortality rates among elephant seals on Heard Island – part of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, an Australian External Area – last month.
“While this detection of H5 bird flu on Heard Island does not materially increase the risks to Australia, it does reinforce the ongoing need for Australia to remain focused on preparing for a potential outbreak,” Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said in a statement.
The results are not unexpected and do not substantially increase Australia’s current risk level, the government said.
Australia is the only continent that has not reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 strain, which was first discovered in 1996.
Source: SBS news
The recent testing has shown no unusual mortality in other species on the island, including penguins and other seabirds.
There have been increasing reports of outbreaks in both wild and domestic animals around the world in recent years, with estimated deaths of millions of farmed and wild birds.
Can bird flu reach Australia?
Although Heard Island is very remote – more than 4,000 kilometers southwest of Perth and 1,700 kilometers north of Antarctica – scientists say there is still a possibility the disease could reach the Australian mainland.
That’s thanks to migratory birds, says Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist at the Australian National University’s School of Medicine and Psychology.
“Birds can fly anywhere – there is always the risk that this could happen, just like in the United States,” Senanayake told SBS News in October. “It’s a reminder that this can happen.”
Last year, livestock were added to the list of animals infected with the virus after it spread through farms in several US states.
Senanayake said this means surveillance will be critical, allowing testing and quarantine to occur early if there is even the “slightest suspicion” that Australia’s bird or livestock populations are sick.
The Albanian government is investing more than $100 million to strengthen preparedness for bird flu and increase Australia’s national response capacity, Collins said.
Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt said researchers are monitoring the global spread of bird flu “so we are equipped with the best possible information when bird flu reaches our shores”.
He added that a second trip to Heard Island, arriving in late December, will gather more information about wildlife health.
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