Arabic version: تأكيد أول إصابة بإنفلونزا الطيور H5 لدى ثديي في أستراليا
According to ABC News, Australia’s first case of H5 bird flu in a mammal has been confirmed in a long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on South Australia’s south-east coast. Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the detection was concerning but not unexpected, particularly in marine mammals in areas with high infection rates in wild birds.
Collins said the infection in the individual seal was likely caused by exposure to infected wild birds or the environment they share. She said the detection did not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals. Australia has recorded 298 positive H5 bird flu events since the outbreak, including 194 in South Australia, while there is no evidence of infection in poultry or agriculture systems.
South Australian Environment Minister Emily Bourke said a previously suspected case in a little penguin on Kangaroo Island had also been confirmed. She said there was no cure or ability to stop bird flu, and that the state government was working closely with the federal government on a national vaccination program. Collins said she would travel to South Australia in the coming days to discuss the response.
Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough described the fur seal detection as “devastating news for wildlife”, citing rapid mammal-to-mammal transmission among seals in South America and Antarctica. South Australia’s chief vet Skye Fruean said seals and sea lions could be at greater risk, and advised pet owners to keep dogs on leads and cats indoors. The government has urged people not to touch or approach sick or dead birds, but to record their location and make a report.
