Vets turn away wild birds as avian influenza detected in SA

South Australia is grappling with its first confirmed case of H5N1 avian influenza, detected on Wednesday, leading to a critical situation for wildlife rescue efforts. Several veterinary clinics in metropolitan and regional areas have announced on social media that they will no longer accept wild birds, leaving organizations like Southern Koala and Echidna Rescue in a difficult position.

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We don't know what [role] PIRSA or the Department of Environment want us to play.

Mish Simpson, founder and director of Southern Koala and Echidna Rescue, highlighted the urgent need for a specialized facility. "We don't know what [role] PIRSA or the Department of Environment want us to play," she stated, emphasizing the lack of clear guidelines for managing an outbreak. Simpson stressed the welfare issue of not being able to treat sick birds and the potential for the virus to spread further if proper quarantine measures are not implemented.

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We're really hopeful that we can still continue to treat and assess birds because it's a welfare issue if we don't.

Simpson's organization requires a separate, isolated facility, potentially multiple transportable buildings, to manage intake, screening, and quarantining of infected birds. While they have designs for a triage center, funding is a significant barrier. "The sooner we can get funds that will allow us to do that the better prepared we're going to be," she said.

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We need a separate building that we can put at the top of the property hundreds of metres away from our other animals where we can do the intake and screening of animals and quarantining.

Concerns are mounting over how the avian influenza might affect Australia's native wildlife, which has never been exposed to this specific variant. The disease has already caused significant mortality in other parts of the world, including killing over 13,000 southern elephant seal pups on Heard Island. Simpson expressed the desire for clear communication between government agencies and wildlife rescuers to ensure a coordinated response and prevent further spread.

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The sooner we can get funds that will allow us to do that the better prepared we're going to be.