Suspected H5 strain of bird flu detected in WA, may mark first detection in Australia

The H5 avian influenza has never been detected on mainland Australia before — the last continent on Earth without a confirmed case.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said that results of samples sent to CSIRO were expected on Saturday. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

In brief

• A suspected case of the H5 avian flu has been detected in Western Australia.
• The deadly strain was first detected on Heard Island in October, 4000km southwest of Perth.

A single suspected case of bird flu has triggered fears a deadly strain that has killed millions of animals worldwide has reached the Australian mainland.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed a single migratory wild bird had been detected with a suspected case of the disease in Western Australia.

But it was too early to confirm it was the concerning H5N1 strain that has killed millions of birds around the world, the minister said, with results from further testing expected on Saturday.

Mainland Australia is the only continent yet to detect the killer strain.

"There is no evidence of any mass mortality at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in poultry," Collins said.

"If it is confirmed to be the H5 bird flu, this will be sobering, but not unexpected, given the spread globally."

The deadly strain of bird flu was detected for the first time on Australian soil in October on the World Heritage-listed Heard Island, which sits some 4000km southwest of Perth.

Scientists who visited Heard Island estimated 13,359 southern elephant seal pups had died from the disease out of a total population of 17,364 — more than three-quarters of the total.

Collins insisted the strain's arrival was inevitable and said the government had been preparing for it as a result.

She downplayed fears it could devastate Australia's farmers, who are still reeling from the fuel crisis caused by conflict in the Middle East.

"This is a single bird, a suspected case and we are as prepared as any country can be," Collins said.

"We have invested early, as we said we would, and those investments are now showing provision ... if this is detected as a case, we will have gotten there early."

Risk to human health would be exceptionally small, she added.

States and territory representatives and industry experts are meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss planning.

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