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Two Native Birds in South Australia Test Positive for H5 Bird Flu

First Confirmed Cases on SA Metropolitan Beach, Bringing State Total to Seven

H5 bird flu South Australia native bird deaths

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Two greater crested terns found dead on South Australian beaches (near Robe and Semaphore) have tested positive for the H5 bird flu strain, marking the first confirmed cases on a SA metropolitan beach.
National tally now includes 7 in SA, 10 in WA, 2 in NSW, and 1 in QLD.

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Warum es wichtig ist

Bird flu (H5 strain) detections in Australian wild seabirds have been increasing, with previous cases in migratory birds from the sub-Antarctic region.

Schriftgröße

The CSIRO has confirmed two native birds found dead on separate South Australian beaches have tested positive for the H5 strain of bird flu, marking the first cases on a metropolitan beach in the state.

A greater crested tern was found near Robe on the Limestone Coast, and another at a beach ramp near the Semaphore Surf Life Saving Club, north-west of Adelaide.

Acting Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Sam Hamilton stated all 20 confirmed or presumed H5 detections in Australia involve individual wild seabirds in coastal locations, with the risk to human health remaining low.

SA Environment Minister Emily Bourke noted the Robe finding was near the site of the first confirmed Australian seabird case on June 14 (a giant petrel on the Fleurieu Peninsula).

As of today, South Australia has seven confirmed cases, Western Australia ten, New South Wales two, and Queensland one (a dead petrel found on Moreton Island yesterday).

Premier Peter Malianauskas emphasized the government’s policy remains unchanged, advising against assuming widespread spread in the native bird population based on current evidence.

South Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Skye Fruean cautioned it’s too early to determine if local transmission is occurring, awaiting further lab analysis to understand strain relationships and potential isolated introductions.