Melbourne, August 13: Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in the island state of Tasmania. This marks the spread of the dangerous virus to all states across the country.
On Thursday, Gavin Pearce, Tasmania’s Minister for Primary Industries and Water, announced that a migratory brown skua bird found dead on the northwestern coast tested positive for the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza.
This bird was discovered by staff from the Parks and Wildlife Service, who are continuously monitoring coastal areas. With this confirmation, Tasmania becomes the sixth and final Australian state to report H5N1. The first case was identified in June in Western Australia.
Pearce stated that state agencies are collaborating with industry stakeholders, wildlife experts, and biosecurity specialists to enhance monitoring, preparedness, and response systems.
“I want to assure the people of Tasmania that we are fully prepared to tackle H5 bird flu, and we will provide continuous updates as new information becomes available,” he said.
According to the news agency Xinhua, Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced on Tuesday that the federal government has purchased an initial 1,500 vials of the H5N1 vaccine. These will be used for vaccinating high-risk captive birds.
Tasmania’s Environment Minister Guy Barnett mentioned on Thursday that vaccination will begin for approximately 350 critically endangered orange-bellied parrot species once the necessary approvals are obtained.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) primarily infects birds but can also affect mammals and humans in rare cases. The H5N1 virus lineage was first identified in 1996 and has caused ongoing outbreaks among birds.
Since 2020, a new strain known as H5 clade 2.3.4.4B has led to unprecedented mortality levels in wild birds and poultry across several countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The virus spread to North America in 2021 and reached Central and South America in 2022.
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