Deadly H5 bird flu confirmed in Australia for first time

Australia has confirmed its first case of the deadly H5 bird flu, detected in a brown skua found on a remote beach in Western Australia's Cape Le Grand National Park. The discovery signifies the virus's global reach, now present on every continent.

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I understand this will be concerning news for many Australians who, like me, have a strong connection to our wildlife.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed the H5 strain after initial testing. Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson noted that samples from a second sick bird, a giant petrel in the same area, also returned a suspected positive result, which will undergo further testing. "I understand this will be concerning news for many Australians who, like me, have a strong connection to our wildlife," Cookson stated, adding, "We have been carefully preparing for this event for a long time."

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We have been carefully preparing for this event for a long time.

The Australian government has committed substantial funding to biosecurity and public health in preparation for such an event, including $95 million last October and an additional $11.2 million shortly before the announcement. This preparedness comes after the nation's poultry industry endured its largest outbreak of the H7 variant, which led to egg shortages for nearly a year and the culling of over two million laying hens.

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We've had [real life] examples with the H7 variant of bird flu impacting the poultry industry.

Government agencies have conducted extensive "war-game" crisis scenarios to prepare for an H5N1 incursion. Joe Buffone, deputy coordinator-general with the National Emergency Management Agency, highlighted that these exercises, involving various sectors like emergency services and health, are based on worst-case realities. He pointed to the H7 variant's impact on the poultry and egg industries as a direct correlation, emphasizing the integrated response involving human health, animal health, and biosecurity elements.

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That then impacts the egg industry, that impacts on providing people affordable protein, so there are direct correlations there [between departments].