Native birds in captivity to be vaccinated against H5 bird flu as Australia prepares for more mass mortalities
The Australian government is launching a vaccination program for endangered native birds in captivity to protect them from the H5N1 bird flu. While officials acknowledge the difficulty of vaccinating wild populations, they are prioritizing conservation breeding programs to prevent mass mortalities.
Why it matters
This initiative reflects the urgent efforts to mitigate the ecological impact of the H5N1 virus on Australia's unique biodiversity.
Endangered birds held in captivity, including the orange-bellied parrot, will be vaccinated against H5N1./iStockphoto Endangered birds held in captivity, including the orange-bellied parrot, will be vaccinated against H5N1./iStockphoto Bird flu Native birds in captivity to be vaccinated against H5 bird flu as Australia prepares for more mass mortalities Federal government also hopes to vaccinate some wild birds but admits catching them once, let alone twice for both doses, is ‘difficult’
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Prefer the Guardian on Google Vaccinations against H5 bird flu will be rolled out for Australian native bird species in captivity as the deadly virus continues to spread across the country.
The federal agriculture minister, Julie Collins, said on Tuesday that target native species in captivity would be prioritised with the first vaccinations to commence “in the coming days and weeks”.
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