WESTERN Australia has now confirmed the detection of H5 bird flu in a giant petrel found in Quindalup on the state’s South West coast.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed the result of H5 bird flu in the single migratory petrel this morning.
The number of confirmed WA cases of H5 bird flu is now three and includes the two migratory seabirds previously reported – a brown skua and giant petrel found in the same area, east of Esperance.
H5 bird flu was also confirmed on June 24 in a giant petrel at Knights Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia taking the total detections in Australia to four.
Authorities are also waiting to hear the result of a new suspect positive detection of H5 bird flu found in a migratory giant petrel on the southern coast, 30km west of Esperance.
Yesterday DPIRD said samples from five deceased petrels were submitted to its laboratory with one returning a suspect positive result for H5 influenza in preliminary testing.
DPIRD said five deceased petrels were spotted by a member of the public on Roses Beach and reported to the emergency animal disease hotline for investigation and testing.
Today DPIRD said since Friday, June 19 there had been 476 reports to the emergency animal disease hotline.
“Of these reports, 53 have been prioritised for further investigation and testing based on the risk of H5 bird flu.”
The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, the globally circulating strain can spread rapidly and is responsible for killing millions of wild animals and poultry but to date in Australia there have been no detections in poultry and no evidence of large-scale deaths in any wildlife.
Anyone who sees sick or dead birds or marine mammals should avoid and not handle the animals but record and take photos or a video and report to the emergency animal disease hotline on 1800 675 888.
DPIRD also advises the community to keep pets away from wildlife, including preventing cats from roaming and keeping dogs on leads in wildlife areas.
If you own, care for, or work with birds or chickens, you should prevent wild birds from mingling with your birds and accessing their feed and water, keep pens, aviaries, feeders and equipment clean and wash hands thoroughly with soap before and after handling birds.
On June 23 the Australian Marine Conservation said the H5N1 also known as H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) was the most highly contagious and deadly version of the bird flu virus, particularly to vulnerable wildlife, including some mammals
