Suspected mass bird flu deaths found in second state as Murray Watt warns ‘this is the beginning’
Aerial surveillance has detected mass bird deaths in a second Australian state in another suspected escalation of the spread of deadly H5 bird flu.
The environment minister, Murray Watt, said on Monday Australia had begun “a long and difficult journey” as CSIRO analysis confirmed Australia’s first mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks off South Australia’s coast.
Hours later, Victorian authorities said aerial observations had identified a “cluster” of dead and sick greater crested terns in the Glenelg River estuary near Nelson and across Lawrence Rocks, in the state’s south-west, over the weekend.
If samples taken from the Victorian birds return positive results, it would be Australia’s second confirmed mortality event from the deadly disease that has devastated wildlife populations globally.
“I want to level with people: this is the beginning of what is likely to be a long, difficult journey in terms of the impacts on wildlife,” Watt said on Monday.
Aerial surveillance over Baudin Rocks identified about 50 dead and 30 sicks birds, the South Australian government said on the weekend.
Samples taken from five greater crested terns and a silver gull were sent to the CSIRO’s Centre for Disease Preparedness and confirmed positive on Monday.
“The reality is, you can’t stop native and wild birds flying around, and you can’t stop wild animals moving around, and that will mean more mass mortality events like the one we have now seen,” Watt said.
“What we can do, and what we have been doing, is build up the resilience of the populations of our native birds and mammals.”
In Victoria, the state’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Graeme Cooke, said aerial surveillance had made observations that were “consistent with what was recently reported in South Australia”.
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Speaking to media on Monday afternoon, Cooke said aerial and ground surveillance in the south-west, near Portland and Nelson, in the past few days showed “a clear increase in the number of dead terns along that part of the coast”.
“Last week we talked about individual detections; the first cases of the H5 bird flu in Victoria. We are now seeing a change as the disease spreads out and has further impacts,” he said.
The region is home to an important breeding colony of Australasian gannets as well as seal colonies and the Glenelg estuary and Discovery Bay, an internationally significant wetland site.
South Australia’s environment minister, Emily Bourke, said she was also concerned about a confirmed case of H5 bird flu in a petrel found in the Coorong, one of several new locations where the deadly disease has been detected in the state.
The migratory petrel was one of 18 new cases in SA confirmed by CSIRO on Monday, which included the samples from six birds at Baudin Rocks.
The new cases included a silver gull in Glenelg, two greater crested terns at Troubridge Island, a silver gull at Southend, a greater crested tern at Monarto and six greater crested terns on Pages Islands.
The Coorong is a large area that is home to internationally significant wetlands that support populations of waterbirds and migratory species.
“That confirmed location is of concern because it is where waterbirds are also located,” Bourke said
“So it’s going from seabirds, but also potentially now into where we know a lot of waterbirds are nesting and using this space as a safe haven.”
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
H5 bird flu has caused confirmed mass deaths in South Australian seabirds, with a suspected second cluster detected in Victoria. CSIRO confirmed the virus in six birds from Baudin Rocks and 18 additional cases across South Australia. Victorian authorities observed concentrated bird deaths in coastal areas near Nelson and Lawrence Rocks over the weekend, pending laboratory confirmation. Officials noted the disease is spreading from seabirds into wetland regions where waterbirds congregate. Environment and health ministers acknowledged that preventing transmission via migratory birds is impossible, though building wildlife population resilience remains possible.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Aerial surveillance has detected mass bird deaths in a second Australian state in another suspected escalation of the spread of deadly H5 bird flu.
The environment minister, Murray Watt, said on Monday Australia had begun “a long and difficult journey” as CSIRO analysis confirmed Australia’s first mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks off South Australia’s coast.
Hours later, Victorian authorities said aerial observations had identified a “cluster” of dead and sick greater crested terns in the Glenelg River estuary near Nelson and across Lawrence Rocks, in the state’s south-west, over the weekend.
If samples taken from the Victorian birds return positive results, it would be Australia’s second confirmed mortality event from the deadly disease that has devastated wildlife populations globally.
“I want to level with people: this is the beginning of what is likely to be a long, difficult journey in terms of the impacts on wildlife,” Watt said on Monday.
Aerial surveillance over Baudin Rocks identified about 50 dead and 30 sicks birds, the South Australian government said on the weekend.
Samples taken from five greater crested terns and a silver gull were sent to the CSIRO’s Centre for Disease Preparedness and confirmed positive on Monday.
“The reality is, you can’t stop native and wild birds flying around, and you can’t stop wild animals moving around, and that will mean more mass mortality events like the one we have now seen,” Watt said.
“What we can do, and what we have been doing, is build up the resilience of the populations of our native birds and mammals.”
In Victoria, the state’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Graeme Cooke, said aerial surveillance had made observations that were “consistent with what was recently reported in South Australia”.
after newsletter promotion
Speaking to media on Monday afternoon, Cooke said aerial and ground surveillance in the south-west, near Portland and Nelson, in the past few days showed “a clear increase in the number of dead terns along that part of the coast”.
“Last week we talked about individual detections; the first cases of the H5 bird flu in Victoria. We are now seeing a change as the disease spreads out and has further impacts,” he said.
The region is home to an important breeding colony of Australasian gannets as well as seal colonies and the Glenelg estuary and Discovery Bay, an internationally significant wetland site.
South Australia’s environment minister, Emily Bourke, said she was also concerned about a confirmed case of H5 bird flu in a petrel found in the Coorong, one of several new locations where the deadly disease has been detected in the state.
The migratory petrel was one of 18 new cases in SA confirmed by CSIRO on Monday, which included the samples from six birds at Baudin Rocks.
The new cases included a silver gull in Glenelg, two greater crested terns at Troubridge Island, a silver gull at Southend, a greater crested tern at Monarto and six greater crested terns on Pages Islands.
The Coorong is a large area that is home to internationally significant wetlands that support populations of waterbirds and migratory species.
“That confirmed location is of concern because it is where waterbirds are also located,” Bourke said
“So it’s going from seabirds, but also potentially now into where we know a lot of waterbirds are nesting and using this space as a safe haven.”
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Aerial surveillance detected about 50 dead and 30 sick birds at Baudin Rocks, South Australia CSIRO confirmed H5 bird flu in samples from five greater crested terns and one silver gull from Baudin Rocks Victoria's aerial observations identified a cluster of dead and sick greater crested terns near Nelson and Lawrence Rocks over the weekend CSIRO confirmed 18 additional H5 cases in South Australia on Monday, including birds at multiple new locations The disease has now been detected in the Coorong, a major waterbird habitat, expanding beyond initial seabird locations Murray Watt stated Australia has begun 'a long and difficult journey' with bird flu impacts on wildlife Watt characterised the current situation as 'the beginning' of likely future mass mortality events Officials emphasised that wild bird migration cannot be stopped and multiple future events are expected
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
- Australia's first confirmed H5 bird flu mass mortality event occurred at Baudin Rocks, South Australia, with CSIRO identifying the virus in samples from six birds
- A second suspected cluster of dead and sick greater crested terns was identified in Victoria's south-west, with results pending confirmation
- Environment Minister Murray Watt stated this marks the beginning of likely multiple future mass mortality events, as wild bird migration cannot be prevented