Agency Report
The highly contagious H5 bird flu virus has started spreading locally among wild birds in Australia, the nation’s chief veterinary officer said on Wednesday.
Australia was for years the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and death in poultry and wild birds worldwide.
“This news of some local transmission may mean we start to see wider spread among wild birds,” Chief government veterinary officer Beth Cookson told reporters.
“Once the virus becomes widespread in wild bird populations, it will not be possible to avoid losses in susceptible wildlife.”
The first Australian case was discovered in a migratory sea bird in June, with scientists warning it was a matter of time until it infected local populations.
Testing had shown the virus spreading among populations of the greater crested tern living on the coast in South Australia state.
“While this is a concerning development,
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