Australian authorities have confirmed fears of another suspected case of H5N1 bird flu, detected in a migratory petrel near Esperance, Western Australia. This brings the total number of confirmed H5N1 cases in seabirds to three over the past week, spanning two states.
The petrel, common to the subantarctic, is undergoing further testing at the CSIRO in Geelong. WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis stated on Friday that initial results from other birds found alongside the suspected case at Roses Beach near Esperance returned negative, indicating no evidence of disease transmission on the Australian mainland. "Australia is well prepared to respond quickly to H5 bird flu to protect poultry and reduce impacts on wildlife," Jarvis added.
This latest suspected case was discovered among four birds on June 21. Since the initial suspected case found on a remote Esperance beach, WA authorities have received over 357 reports of sick birds. Of these, 43 have been prioritized for testing, with 12 returning negative results.
Confirmed cases include a brown skua found in Esperance, WA, on June 14; a giant petrel on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula on June 14; and another giant petrel in Esperance on June 18. Suspected cases, besides the most recent petrel, include one found in Quindalup, WA, on June 20.
Ground-based surveillance and drone surveys are ongoing across the country. Poultry and egg producers remain on high alert, with major producer Inghams announcing a lockdown of its WA sites as a precautionary measure. "There have been no detections in poultry, and there have been no reports of large scale mortalities," Minister Jarvis confirmed.
A temporary ban on all poultry products imported from Australia, previously imposed by Papua New Guinea's National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority, has since been lifted. Opposition spokesman Lachlan Hunter urged the state government to maintain precautions to protect the poultry and egg industries.