Australia, last continent without H5N1 bird flu virus, detects first suspected case

SYDNEY - Australia has detected its first suspected mainland case of H5N1 bird flu in a remote part of the country's southwest, authorities said on Friday.

A migratory sea bird known as a brown skua found in Western Australia's Cape Le Grand National Park tested positive for avian influenza, and further testing is being conducted to confirm the strain, said state Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis.

"We are taking the suspected case of H5 bird flu seriously," Jarvis said. "If this is confirmed H5 bird incursion, there will be a rapid and coordinated national response."

The virulent strain of H5 bird flu has spread through wild bird and mammal populations since 2021, killing millions, infecting poultry and dairy farms and even some farmworkers.

Australia is the only continent left without a confirmed mainland case of the deadly strain.

It has been preparing for its arrival by tightening biosecurity at farms, testing shore birds for disease, vaccinating vulnerable species and war-gaming response plans.

"While, if confirmed, this would obviously be a very concerning development, Australia has spent the past few years preparing for this likelihood," Environment Minister Murray Watt said in a statement.

Results confirming whether the now-deceased brown skua had contracted bird flu is expected on Saturday, Jarvis said.

She added that another sick bird, a giant petrol, was also found in the same area and is being tested for influenza.

Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Susan Fenton/Reuters