Queensland urged to mobilize bird watchers amid H5N1 bird flu fears

Queensland's former chief scientist has encouraged the government to mobilise the state's bird-watching community as conservationists anxiously prepare for the possible arrival of the H5N1 bird flu strain.

The virus, which causes flying issues and breathing problems, has killed millions of birds across the world since 2021.

Five cases have been confirmed on Australia's southern coast so far, and conservationists say there's a good chance the virus will spread to the eastern states.

With 15 per cent more bird species than any other jurisdiction, Queensland could suffer the worst impacts from an outbreak.

"A lot of the special Queensland birds that don't occur anywhere else in the world are bush birds and things like parrots and fairy-wrens, robins," Birdlife Australia President Hugh Possingham said.

"To be honest, I don't think anybody has any idea how it's going to affect them."

He said it was easier to predict the impact on the state's seabirds because similar species had suffered major die offs in Africa, Europe and South America.

"All those Great Barrier Reef islands have huge seabird colonies. So that's the place where we may see the big visual impact of the disease."

Calls to ramp up monitoring

Mr Possingham, who was Queensland's chief scientist from September 2020 to August 2022, said the government would need to tap into the state's network of volunteer bird-watchers to effectively monitor its bird population.

"Bird watchers and bird watching is booming. There's hundreds of thousands them in Australia," he said.

"From Birdlife Australia's perspective, we have branches in Mackay, in Bundaberg, in Far North Queensland and it would be very useful if the state supported us to mobilise volunteers to do that surveillance."

University of Queensland virologist Kirsty Short said if the government went down that route, it would have to train volunteers properly.

"I think you have to be very careful because we certainly don't want to expose community members to any infection. I think that's the last thing we want to do," she said.

Humans can be infected by bird flu but most cases are not serious.

Mr Possingham also suggested the government do more to reduce existing threats to bird populations, such as culling more foxes.

The Queensland government told the ABC state biosecurity officers were collaborating with wildlife carers, veterinarians and other community groups to increase bird surveillance.

"The Queensland government is closely monitoring the H5 bird flu situation in southern Australia and has measures in place to respond quickly if it is detected in Queensland," a Department of Primary Industries spokesperson said.

Poultry industry on alert

Queensland's billion-dollar poultry industry — which mainly produce chicken meat and eggs — is nervously watching bird flu updates.

In Western Australia, where four of the H5N1 cases have been confirmed, major chicken meat producer Inghams has shut all its animals indoors.

The ABC spoke to several Queensland poultry businesses who declined to comment but said locking down and culling infected animals would be the best option if the virus reached their flocks.

When the H5N1 strain was first detected in Asia in the late-1990s, authorities in Hong Kong killed 1.5 million chickens in three days.

Bird flu vaccines do exist and are being used in some countries, but they can not stop the virus spreading entirely.

Some experts say vaccination combined with targeting culling is likely the best way to minimise outbreaks.

The Queensland Department of Primary Industry spokesperson told the ABC the federal government was considering rolling out vaccines for poultry and some native bird species.