Arabic version: تسمانيا تبدأ تجربة لقاح إنفلونزا الطيور لطيور القطرس الخجولة

According to ABC News, Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment has begun a pilot program to vaccinate shy albatrosses against H5 bird flu on remote Albatross Island in Bass Strait. The program targets 100 birds during nesting season and is expected to take three to four weeks.

Each bird needs two vaccine doses for the vaccination to be considered effective. Shy albatrosses breed exclusively at three small Tasmanian island colonies: Albatross Island in the Hunter group near King Island, Mewstone south of the Maatsuyker Islands, and Pedra Branca off Tasmania’s south-eastern point. Albatross Island is the only one accessible to people.

The operation requires trained departmental staff to capture nesting birds by hand. Birds will be held while they are assessed, weighed and vaccinated under the oversight of an experienced wildlife veterinarian. Temporary non-toxic paint and numbered nest markers will identify study birds, help crews deliver second doses and support future remote monitoring.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Guy Barnett described the effort as a world-first attempt to vaccinate albatrosses, a wild species, against bird flu. NRE Tas veterinarians and biologists will monitor the birds using remote cameras and return visits. The department said the controlled program will inform whether a broader population-level vaccination strategy could help protect shy albatrosses.

Tasmania has recorded 50 H5 bird flu events since the virus was first detected in a brown skua in August. No cases have been detected in commercial poultry or backyard flocks, and no mass mortality events have been reported. The department encourages people to report sick, dead or injured birds online or through the Emergency Animal Disease hotline on 1800 675 888.