First Australian death of little penguin with H5 bird flu confirmed on Phillip Island
The first case of H5 bird flu has been confirmed in a little penguin on Phillip Island, Australia. Authorities are now accelerating a vaccination program for the colony of 40,000 birds to prevent further spread.
Why it matters
This outbreak threatens a major tourist attraction and a significant population of native wildlife, highlighting the ecological risks of avian influenza.
Authorities had been racing to vaccinate 40,000 little penguins on Phillip Island before the first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in the colony./iStockphoto Authorities had been racing to vaccinate 40,000 little penguins on Phillip Island before the first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in the colony./iStockphoto Bird flu First Australian death of little penguin with H5 bird flu confirmed on Phillip Island Authorities confirm first Australian death of species found with virus near where it attracts crowds to a ‘penguin parade’
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Prefer the Guardian on Google Australia’s first case of the deadly H5 bird flu in a little penguin has been confirmed on Victoria’s Phillip Island, only days after the state government announced it would begin vaccinating the species.
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