Arabic version: تزايد المخاوف من إنفلونزا الطيور في جزيرة الكنغر

According to ABC News, Kangaroo Island residents are bracing for further environmental and economic effects after mass bird deaths believed to be linked to H5N1 were detected on remote South Australian islands. More than 1,000 crested terns were involved in three mortality events, including two on North Page and South Page off Kangaroo Island. A little penguin found at D’Estrees Bay is also being tested for H5N1.

Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly said the events were distressing for the community. The council is providing facilities at its waste depot for dead birds, while the department is sending eco bins for birds to decompose in. Pengilly said the island had endured bushfires, COVID, an algal bloom and now bird flu, adding that little penguins had taken a hammering during the algal bloom.

Penneshaw Penguin Centre tour operator Renee Daniell said the mass mortality events had made the threat feel more immediate. She monitors a colony of about 100 penguins, while the wider Penneshaw population is estimated at about 200. Daniell said the population had more than doubled over the past four years and had shown consistent breeding-season numbers, but major losses would be devastating for the colony and a tourism business that attracts visitors from around the world.

The South Australian government is considering a potential vaccination program for certain species, including penguins. Daniell said she had sought biosecurity advice and arranged meetings with primary industries and environment departments, while supporting the prospect of vaccination for the monitored colony during breeding season. Premier Peter Malinauskas said a vaccine was still early in development and would require regulatory and safety approval. He said administering two doses could be difficult for flying birds, but may be easier for flightless species that return to burrows.