H5N1 bird flu detected in seabirds in Western Australia, raising concerns for wildlife
By
Graham Readfearn
Summary
Two seabirds (a brown skua and a giant petrel) were found sick on beaches in Western Australia, testing positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Both birds have since died. This is significant because these birds rarely make landfall, and their infection marks the arrival of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus in Australia, which had previously been expected to arrive via the north but instead appears to have come from Antarctica. The virus has killed millions of birds and mammals globally since 2021.
Source
bskyH5N1 bird flu detected in seabirds in Western Australia, raising concerns for wildlifetheguardian.comKey quotes
· 4 pulledBrown skuas and giant petrels are a common sight offshore in southern Australian waters in the winter months, but they will rarely risk venturing on to land.
On Monday it was confirmed the giant petrel had tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, two days after the case was confirmed in the skua.
The virus has killed millions of birds and mammals around the world since 2021 but, until now,
Experts thought H5N1 bird flu would more likely reach Australia's north. But an arrival from Antarctica had always been possible
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