Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal after a long-nosed fur seal was found infected in South Australia. The seal was discovered at Beachport, 300km south of Adelaide, according to Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins.
The minister stated that while this development is concerning, it is not unexpected given the high infection rates in wild birds in the area. Australia has been grappling with rising cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza since June, with the country’s first mass seabird deaths from the virus occurring this month.
The seal, one of an estimated population of 100,000 in the state’s waters, was found dead with no signs of injury. Minister Collins noted that the detection does not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals, and the infection likely occurred due to exposure to infected wild birds or the environment they share.
There have been 297 positive bird flu cases recorded in Australia, with 194 of those being in South Australia. Minister Collins emphasized that at this stage, there is no evidence of infection in the country’s poultry or agriculture systems. Officials have announced plans to inoculate at-risk native bird populations against the lethal H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
Seals are at high risk of contracting the virus due to their proximity to wild birds on rocky outcrops along the coast, according to South Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Skye Fruean. The country’s unique bird species are particularly vulnerable, with government data showing that roughly 45% of Australia’s 850 bird species are endemic.
