Further Suspect H5 Bird Flu Detections In South West
Authorities in Victoria, Australia, have identified additional suspect cases of H5 bird flu in crested terns. Officials are urging the public to report sightings of sick wildlife to assist in disease surveillance.
Why it matters
Monitoring the spread of H5 bird flu is essential for preventing potential transmission to humans and protecting local biodiversity.
Further suspect cases of H5 bird flu have been detected in crested terns in Victoria's south west.
There is now one existing positive case and six suspect cases in Victoria.
Preliminary testing has identified five crested terns, three from Portland and two from Nelson Bay, suspected to have H5 bird flu after returning a positive result at Victoria's state lab, AgriBio. Samples are undergoing confirmatory testing at CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness along with the single suspect case from Portland announced yesterday.
Victoria's Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said the additional suspect cases showed how important community observations are in helping detect and monitor disease in wild birds.
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