Australia’s first case of bird flu in a mammal has been confirmed following testing of a long-nosed fur seal found in South Australia.
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has told reporters in Hobart the seal was found at Beachport, 300 kilometres south of Adelaide.
“This is sadly our first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in a mammal in Australia,” Ms Collins said.
“Although this is a concerning development, it is not unexpected for us to start to see infection in other wildlife, particularly in marine mammals, particularly in areas where there are high infection rates in wild birds.
“I have been advised that at this time the detection does not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals.
“An infection of this individual animal is likely to have occurred due to exposure to infected wild birds or the environment that they share.”
There have now been 298 positive H5 bird flu events recorded in Australia since the outbreak, with 183 of those in South Australia.
“At this stage there is no evidence of infection in our poultry or agriculture systems,” Ms Collins said.
The minister said she would be travelling to South Australia “in the coming days” to discuss the state’s response to H5 bird flu.
She urged anyone who sees sick or dead birds not to touch them or get close to them but to record their location and make a report.
