New South Wales has recorded its first suspected case of the deadly H5 bird flu, found in a giant petrel near Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, on the state’s coast. The case is awaiting confirmation by CSIRO testing to determine if it is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. If confirmed, this would mark the first detection of the deadly disease on the Australian east coast.
Five cases have already been confirmed since late June, with four in Western Australia and one in South Australia, all in migratory subantarctic birds. A fifth suspected case has been reported in Western Australia, a dead giant petrel found at Mullaloo in Perth’s northern suburbs, prompting the government to increase H5 surveillance at metropolitan beaches. NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty stated that the disease has not been detected in any poultry flocks, captive or other wild birds in NSW.
The bird was found unwell by a member of the public who contacted authorities, and initial testing at NSW labs confirmed the petrel was positive for H5 influenza. Moriarty emphasized that the impact of H5 worldwide on wild birds and poultry has been devastating, but NSW and the rest of the country have been preparing for this moment for many years. The NSW government has surveillance in place for early detection and is working with the federal and other state and territory governments.
A state coordination centre at the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development in Orange is managing surveillance operations. Moriarty urged anyone who sees a sick or dead bird to contact the emergency hotline and report its location. The government has trained over 500 people in government and private veterinary services in surveillance for the disease.
NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Jo Coombe stated that this is an isolated case at this stage, but warned that it doesn’t mean it will be the last case. She advised people to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and requested they record the location and report it to authorities. The Invasive Species Council has renewed its call for urgent federal funding for conservation measures to support the bird flu response.
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins chaired a meeting of agriculture ministers to discuss the ongoing H5 bird flu response, thanking members of the public for reporting unwell and dead birds and reiterating that there have been no detections in poultry. The government continues to work with the poultry and egg industries to mitigate against any incursions in agricultural systems.
