The Australian government confirmed the first deadly case of the H5 strain of bird flu in the country on Saturday, according to media reports. The H5 bird flu was detected in a migratory bird that washed up on a remote beach in Western Australia, approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) southeast of Perth, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, citing Agriculture Minister Julie Collins.
Discovery of the Infected Bird
The brown skua seabird, a wild sub-Antarctic species potentially infected with the disease, was found in Western Australia on June 14. Australia had been the sole continent to avoid the H5 strain of bird influenza that wreaked havoc among animal populations across the globe.
Government Response and Precautions
Collins stated that extensive efforts are being made to protect the poultry industry from any potential spread of the virus, relying on protocols and training already in place. Australia has had previous outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry, but historically those involved other strains, particularly H7 viruses, rather than the globally dominant H5N1 lineage.
Commonly known as bird flu, avian influenza is a contagious virus that predominantly affects bird species and can infect other animal populations, including humans. The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza was discovered more than 20 years ago. Bird flu strains are classified in seriousness on a scale of pathogenicity — the capacity of the strain to cause the disease.
