Authorities report first suspected H5N1 bird flu case on Australia's east coast
Sydney, July 3
Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales said on Friday that they have detected the first suspected case of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza on the country's east coast.
Tara Moriarty, NSW's minister for agriculture, told reporters that preliminary testing of samples taken from a migratory giant petrel that was found sick near the small coastal town of Hawks Nest, 165 km northeast of Sydney, returned a positive result for the highly pathogenic strain.
She said that the samples have been sent to the national science agency for confirmatory testing. If confirmed, it would be the sixth case of the H5N1 strain on the Australian mainland and the first on the east coast.
All five previous cases were detected in migratory birds in June, with four in Western Australia (WA) and one in South Australia (SA).
Moriarty said on Friday that the state government has notified the poultry industry about the suspected case.
"We haven't had any reports of the poultry industry being impacted," she said.
"So there's no need to panic, keep buying eggs, keep buying chicken."
Prior to the first case being detected in WA, the Australian mainland was the only continent free from the strain that has caused the deaths of millions of birds and other wildlife globally since 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.
NSW's Chief Veterinary Officer, Jo Coombe, said that Australian authorities were "very aware" of the looming threat of the H5N1 strain and have spent several years preparing for a local outbreak.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) is a subtype of influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare instances. The goose/Guangdong-lineage of H5N1 avian influenza viruses first emerged in 1996 and have been causing outbreaks in birds since then. Since 2020, a variant of these viruses belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has led to an unprecedented number of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. In 2021, the virus spread to North America, and in 2022, to Central and South America.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good that Australian authorities are saying 'no need to panic'. But as an Indian, I remember how COVID spread from animals to humans. We should learn from their preparedness—NSW has been preparing for years, but what about our own surveillance of bird flu strains? Better safe than sorry. 😕
Interesting that Australia was the only continent free from this strain until recently. The H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has caused havoc globally since 2020. India should boost biosecurity at poultry farms and check imported birds. But kudos to NSW for early detection and transparent communication! 👏
As someone who lived through the pandemic, I appreciate the calm response. But we've seen how quickly avian flu can mutate—look at the prior outbreaks in Asia. Australia's preparation is a model, but India needs to strengthen its veterinary and wildlife surveillance systems. Let's stay vigilant. 🌏
Saw this news and worried about our backyard poultry in rural India. The minister said 'no need to panic, keep buying eggs'—that's comfort for consumers. But for farmers, the risk of culling is real. I hope the government in India is also doing random testing of migratory birds in wetlands like Bharatpur. 🐔
H5N1 is old news—we've had outbreaks in India too, like in 2021 in Kerala and MP. But this variant (clade 2.3.4.4b) is spreading fast across continents. Let's be proactive: inform poultry sellers, avoid contact with sick birds, and support
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