BREAKING: FIRST SUSPECTED H5N1 BIRD FLU CASES DETECTED IN NSW AND PERTH 💥 AUTHORITIES ISSUE GRAVE WARNING AS FEARS GROW FOR WILDLIFE AND AGRICULTURE
Australia’s bird flu threat has deepened with a suspected case detected in a state previously free of the virus, while WA is preparing to confirm its first infection in a migratory bird found in its capital city.
Five cases of avian influenza have already been confirmed in Australia — one migratory seabird found in South Australia and four detected in Western Australia last month — but authorities believe the disease has now reached NSW.
A giant petrel near Hawks Nest, north of Sydney, tested positive for the influenza in preliminary testing.
Samples have been sent to CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) to confirm if it is the H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) strain.
“This latest development is incredibly concerning for both agriculture and for wildlife,” NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said.
“The impact of H5 worldwide on wild birds and poultry has been devastating.”
The state government said at this stage there have only been confirmed detections in vagrant migratory seabirds that “occasionally visit southern Australia”.
“NSW and the rest of the country have been preparing for this moment for many years,” Moriarty said.
“We are working with federal, state and territory governments as we roll out plans that have been developed with all stakeholders including industry, agriculture and wildlife organisations.
“The community can help by avoiding contact with sick or dead wildlife and their environment, recording what you see and reporting any unusual sickness or mass mortality to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.”
Surveillance operations had already ramped up in NSW in preparation for a potential detection across the state, including establishing a H5 bird flu call centre, and training more than 500 additional staff from Local Land Services and National Parks and Wildlife Service field officers.
First suspected H5 bird flu case found in Perth
The development in NSW comes as WA authorities revealed a suspected H5 case in a migratory seabird found on a beach in Mullaloo, a coastal suburb in Perth’s north.
“Additional samples have been sent to the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness to confirm the results,” WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis said, with a determination expected over the weekend.
If confirmed, it would be Perth’s first case after previous detections in the state’s south and South West, outside the metropolitan area.
“All detections involve migratory seabirds that are known to occasionally visit southern Australia,” Jarvis said.
“There is no evidence of spread or large-scale deaths in local wildlife or any detections in poultry.
“The community is encouraged, however, to keep pets away from wildlife, including preventing cats from roaming and keeping dogs on leads.”
Fisheries officers have ramped up patrols along the metropolitan coast, in addition to the additional patrols in the state’s south.
– With Damian Murphy
SOURCE: https://7news.com.au/news/nsw-records-first-suspected-case-of-bird-flu-on-central-coast-c-22525907
