Explore the latest developments concerning Suspected bird flu.
Suspected bird flu infection in fox sparks fears of 'long-distance' spread
A red fox is suspected of having contracted H5N1 bird flu. (iNaturalist: Eddy Smith, Red fox, CC BY-NC 4.0)
A red fox found in suburban Adelaide is suspected to have been infected with the H5 bird flu, South Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regions says.
More than 300 infection events have been recorded across the country since the first case was detected in June.
The test needs to be confirmed by the CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong.
South Australian authorities say they have five new suspected cases of bird flu in the state, including a red fox in Osborne, in metropolitan Adelaide, as they warn pet owners to restrict the movement of their cats and dogs.
Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn
Virus has already caused catastrophic losses in seals in South America and sub-Antarctica, particularly among pups
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Scientists have warned deadly H5 bird flu could cause âcarnageâ for Australiaâs seal and sea lion populations after detection of the virus in long-nosed fur seals in South Australia.
SA confirmed Australiaâs first case in a mainland mammal on Saturday after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1.
The state government announced a second suspected case on Monday in a dead long-nosed fur seal found on the Pages Islands, off Kangaroo Island, with results from CSIRO testing pending.
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Backyard bird feeding could be a bird flu ‘superspreader’. An expert explains
Backyard bird feeding is one of our country’s most popular pastimes. Research reveals about half of Australian households feed wild birds, with many people doing so daily.
However, this practice could act as a superspreader event – where a disease infects an unusually high number of people or animals – of the H5N1 virus. This deadly strain of bird flu has already decimated wild bird and mammal populations worldwide. It is now spreading across Australia, most recently killing more than 1,000 crested terns and a long-nosed fur seal, the first detection in a mainland mammal.
Although many Australians feed wild birds, the practice is controversial. This is mainly due to concerns about people offering unsuitable foods and birds becoming dependent on humans.
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