Australia confirms H5N1 bird flu spreading among native birds

Australia said on Wednesday the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus is being transmitted locally in the native bird population, raising concerns that the disease is beginning to spread more widely after it first appeared in the country in June.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins told a news conference that transmission had occurred between greater crested terns in South Australia state.

"While there remains no evidence of any mass mortalities at this point in time, we do expect, with this local transmission, that there will be further detections in Australian wildlife," Collins said.

There were currently no infections in Australia's poultry industry, she said.

Four states in Australia have detected cases of the strain that has spread through wild bird and mammal populations globally since 2021, killing millions, infecting poultry and dairy farms and some farmworkers.

-Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Tom Hogue/Reuters