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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/03/bird-flu-australia-first-suspected-case-nsw-deadly-h5n1-virus>
"New South Wales has its first suspected case of the deadly H5 bird flu in a
giant petrel that was found near Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, on the state’s
coast.
If CSIRO testing confirms it is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, it would
mark the first detection of the deadly disease on the Australian east coast.
Five cases have already been confirmed since late June – four in Western
Australia and one in South Australia – all in migratory subantarctic birds.
The WA government said on Friday it had a fifth suspected case in the state, a
dead giant petrel, found at Mullaloo in Perth’s northern suburbs and the
government was increasing H5 surveillance at metropolitan beaches.
The NSW agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, said the disease had so far not
been detected in any poultry flocks, captive or other wild birds in NSW. The
bird was found unwell by a member of the public who contacted authorities.
She said initial testing at NSW labs had confirmed the petrel was positive for
H5 influenza. Testing by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness was
needed to confirm it was the highly pathogenic strain of the disease that has
devastated wildlife populations globally.
“This latest development is incredibly concerning for both agriculture and for
wildlife,” Moriarty said.
“The impact of H5 worldwide on wild birds and poultry has been devastating. But
NSW and the rest of the country have been preparing for this moment for many
years.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
