Major blow as first native bird and mammal suspected to have H5 strain

Australia’s bird flu fight has taken a sinister turn following the discovery of two landmark cases. Authorities in South Australia have today confirmed that the first case in a native Australian bird has been discovered. Meanwhile, in NSW tests are being carried out on a dead seal which could confirm the first detection in a mammal on Australian soil. Until now, every confirmed case in Australia has been in a migratory bird. But on Friday afternoon, a case in South Australia became the country’s first native seabird to be detected with the deadly new strain. The bird, a greater crested tern, was found dead at the Robe Marina on Tuesday. The bird was collected the same day and has undergone testing which confirmed on Friday morning that it was carrying the new strain. Two other suspected cases, giant petrels found at Emu Bay and Port Vincent respectively, have also been confirmed. “Importantly, while this is the first confirmed detection in an Australian seabird, it is being treated as an isolated incident,” said SA primary industries minister Clare Scriven. “There remains no detections in poultry or any signs of mass mortalities, anywhere in Australia.” Meanwhile, there are also worrying signs that the strain could be spreading to mammals in Australia too, following the discovery of a dead New Zealand fur seal in NSW. The susceptibility of seals has already been widely reported, after the illness tore through hundreds of elephant seals on the Australian sub-Antarctic islands of McDonald and Heard. However, if confirmed, this would be the first case in a mammal found in mainland Australia. Agriculture minister Julie Collins said on Friday that the total number of detections in Australia is now at 12. She said the tern discovery was a “concerning development” “This is a coastal seabird that has an overlapping coastal range with migratory seabirds that have previously tested positive for H5,” she said.