A bird found in NSW is suspected to be infected with the deadly H5 strain of avian influenza, which arrived in Australia in June.
Preliminary testing showed the bird is positive, and now samples have been sent to CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for confirmation.
Agriculture minister Tara Moriarty called the development “incredibly concerning” for both the state’s farming industry and wildlife.
“The impact of H5 worldwide on wild birds and poultry has been devastating,” she said.
The first confirmed case was in Western Australia, and it was found days later in South Australia.
Testing is now being conducted on swabs from a migratory giant petrel found at Hawks Nest, a small coastal community in NSW.
The state government has reminded residents that the risk to human health remains low.
Moriarty urged the public not to touch dead or sick wildlife. Instead, they should record or photograph it and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
NSW working to detect further infections
NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Jo Coombe said spatial mapping tools would be used to monitor any outbreak.
“Our focus now is to increase surveillance and to detect any further infections early,” she said.
“We have now ramped up surveillance operations having trained more than 500 additional staff, including Local Land Services and National Parks and Wildlife Service field officers to undertake surveillance for H5 bird flu.”
Plea from wildlife rescuers after possible detection
Wildlife rescue groups on the ground in the Hawks Nest area say they are in desperate need of government funding for PPE to ensure their volunteers remain safe.
Nina Morris from Wildlife In Need of Care (WINC), a local volunteer-run service, said her team don’t touch birds with potential symptoms.
Even though the virus has not spread to non-migratory species, they are taking extra precautions with all wildlife.
“We are 100 per cent on high alert,” she told Yahoo News.
“Any migratory birds or seabirds that come through, we fully assess before we touch them.
“If they’ve got signs, we report them straight away.”
State capital records first suspected bird flu case
On the other side of Australia, preliminary tests on the body of a giant petrel have also tested positive for H5 influenza.
The bird was found dead north of Perth between Whitfords and Mullaloo beaches on June 30.
The Department of Biodiversity (DBCA) said it will be conducting increased beach patrols along the metropolitan coast.
# Yahoo
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