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🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

'Bad luck' for Australia's bird flu epicentre, but worse is to come

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • South Australia has recorded more than three-quarters of Australia's confirmed H5 bird flu cases, leading its chief veterinary officer to describe the state as a victim of "bad luck."
  • Authorities are tightening biosecurity measures nationwide, with events like the Royal Adelaide Show canceling bird competitions and Victoria locking down poultry flocks.
  • Experts warn the virus is likely to spread beyond coastlines into inland Australia, following patterns seen internationally where it has jumped to mammals, causing significant mortality events.

South Australia is bearing the brunt of the H5 bird flu's arrival in Australia, accounting for over 75 percent of the nation's confirmed cases, according to the state's chief veterinary officer.

Unfortunately, we were just unlucky to be the first place where this did spread into our resident birds.

— Dr Skye FrueanExplaining South Australia's disproportionate number of H5 bird flu cases.

Dr. Skye Fruean described the situation as "bad luck," noting that the state was unfortunately the first place the virus spread to its resident bird populations. This includes a "mass mortality" event involving an estimated 80 birds near Cape Jaffa in late July. While authorities across Australia are enhancing biosecurity and monitoring captive bird populations, the Royal Adelaide Show has canceled its bird competitions, and Victoria has implemented lockdowns for its poultry flocks.

Experts caution that the spread of H5N1 is unlikely to be contained to coastal areas and is expected to penetrate inland Australia. The H5N1 variant has a global reach, having spread across every continent since its discovery in 1996. International efforts have focused on preventing spillovers from wild birds to domestic poultry or mammals, which often necessitate the culling of entire infected flocks and the imposition of quarantine zones.

Bird flu is a disease that they [farmers] have been concerned about for decades.

— Dr Skye FrueanHighlighting the long-standing concerns within the agricultural community regarding bird flu.

Dr. Fruean noted that farmers have been concerned about bird flu for decades, and while the current situation is difficult, it has provided time for preparedness within the poultry industry. Although deadly spillovers to mammals have not yet occurred in South Australia, the virus's path mirrors international experiences. In South America, H5N1 has infected and killed thousands of sea lions and elephant seals since 2022. Australia's first detection was among elephant seals on Heard Island in November, leading to thousands of deaths. Efforts are now underway to protect endangered sea mammal herds on Kangaroo Island, which has also recorded positive cases in birds.

While it's awful to watch, it's allowed us time to prepare to come here.

— Dr Skye FrueanReflecting on the preparedness measures taken by the poultry industry in response to the threat.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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