Second Suspected Case of H5N1 Bird Flu Found in Seal in Australia

Canberra, August 24: Authorities in South Australia reported on Monday a second suspected case of H5N1 bird flu in a seal. This follows the first recorded case in a mammal in Australia, which was announced just a day earlier.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions in South Australia stated that the long-nosed fur seal was found in Pages Conservation Park, located about 18 kilometers off the southern coast of the state, comprising North and South Page Islands.

Samples have been sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for confirmation and testing.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the federal government had announced the first case of H5N1 avian influenza in a mammal in Australia just a day prior. This case involved a long-nosed fur seal found dead on the mainland of South Australia.

Emily Burke, the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water in South Australia, expressed that both cases are extremely concerning. The state government reported on Thursday that over 1,000 birds had been found dead in suspected bird flu incidents across three islands, including North and South Page Islands.

Burke stated in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio, “We have seen significant losses in seal populations due to bird flu in many parts of the world.”

According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Page Island is home to one of three major colonies of the endangered Australian sea lion found in South Australia. The Invasive Species Council warned that this H5N1 outbreak could pose a severe extinction threat to this species.

Burke suggested that the virus spreading in South Australia may have originated from Heard Island, a remote island territory of Australia located near Antarctica.

The Australian Antarctic Program reported in June that approximately 13,000 of an estimated 17,000 elephant seal pups on Heard Island had died due to H5N1 bird flu.

Federal Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt stated on ABC television that the emergence of infections in seals was not unexpected. He warned that officials anticipate more large-scale animal deaths in the future.

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