Australia detects H5 bird flu strain in second state

Scientists have detected the highly contagious H5 bird flu strain in a second Australian state, raising concerns over the virus spreading through migratory birds, the country’s agriculture minister said on Wednesday.

Australia had remained the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain for years, despite the virus causing severe illness and high death rates among poultry and wild birds around the world.

The first H5 case was confirmed in Western Australia last week. Officials have now identified another case in a migratory seabird found hundreds of kilometres away in South Australia.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the development was concerning but not unexpected given the global spread of the virus.

“This is obviously concerning, but given the spread of H5 globally it is not unexpected that other migratory birds may have arrived at other locations across the Australian coastline,” Collins told reporters.

She added that there was currently no evidence of mass bird deaths, infections in poultry farms, or the country’s agricultural production system being affected. The risk to human health remains low, she said.

The detection of H5 in multiple locations could have major consequences for Australia’s poultry industry. One of the country’s largest poultry producers has placed farms in Western Australia under lockdown measures to prevent infections.

Neighbouring Papua New Guinea temporarily halted imports of Australian eggs and chicken meat following the detection, though restrictions have since been eased with some exceptions.