Australia has lost its status as the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, after a brown skua found sick near Esperance in Western Australia tested positive on June 20.
Testing was conducted at CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. A second case, a giant petrel found at the same national park, was confirmed in the days following. By June 24, a third case was confirmed in South Australia, extending the outbreak across state lines. At least four cases were confirmed by June 27, with a fifth suspected.
All confirmed cases involve migratory seabirds, specifically species that travel from sub-Antarctic regions. No mass wild bird die-offs have been detected, and no infection has been found in domestic poultry or agricultural production systems.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins described the detections as concerning but not unexpected. 'This is obviously concerning, but given the spread of H5 globally it is not unexpected that other migratory birds may have arrived at other locations across the Australian coastline,' she said. 'At this stage there is no evidence of mass mortalities. There is also no evidence of infection in poultry or in our agricultural production system.'
Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said the risk remained contained. 'It is a seabird, a migratory species, and there is no indication that it has spread beyond those populations,' she said.
Papua New Guinea temporarily suspended Australian poultry imports as a precautionary measure following the detections. Human health risk has been classified as low.
The H5 strain had already been linked to the deaths of more than 13,000 elephant seal pups on Australia's Heard and McDonald Islands before reaching the mainland.
