SYDNEY: Australia on Saturday confirmed its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5 strain of avian influenza, marking the first time the virus has been identified in the country.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), citing Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, reported that the virus was detected in a migratory bird that washed up on a remote beach in Western Australia, about 700 kilometres southeast of Perth.
The infected bird was identified as a brown skua seabird, a wild sub-Antarctic species. The bird was found on June 14 and was later confirmed to be carrying the H5 strain of bird flu, according to the report.
The discovery means Australia is no longer the only continent to have avoided the H5 strain of avian influenza, which has spread widely among bird and animal populations across the world in recent years.
Collins said authorities were taking extensive measures to protect Australia’s poultry industry from any potential spread of the virus.
She said officials were relying on existing biosecurity protocols, surveillance systems and response plans developed to deal with avian influenza outbreaks.
The minister stressed that preparations and training were already in place to respond quickly if further cases were detected.
Australia has previously experienced outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry flocks. However, those incidents have involved other strains of the virus, particularly H7 variants, rather than the globally dominant H5N1 lineage.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a contagious viral disease that primarily affects birds but can also infect other animals, including humans.
The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain was first identified more than two decades ago and has since caused widespread outbreaks among wild birds and poultry in multiple regions of the world.
Bird flu viruses are classified according to their pathogenicity, or ability to cause disease, with highly pathogenic strains posing the greatest risk to bird populations and poultry industries.
