Fur seal death marks first mainland Australian mammal killed by spreading H5 bird flu
A long-nosed fur seal has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, the first confirmed mammal case on the Australian mainland, as authorities warn the virus will keep spreading.
A long-nosed fur seal was found dead on Wednesday at Beachport on South Australia's Limestone Coast after contracting H5 bird flu, in what officials say is the first confirmed case of the virus killing a mammal on the Australian mainland.
The death comes just days after South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas announced three mass mortality events on offshore islands, in which more than 1,000 greater crested terns died.
Federal agriculture minister Julie Collins said the seal's death was "not unexpected" given the virus is now spreading across the country. She said the animal likely became infected through contact with sick wild birds or a shared environment, and that authorities cannot prevent the virus spreading among wild birds. Collins added that as more dead wild birds are found, more reports of infected marine mammals are expected to follow.
According to Collins, Australia has now recorded 298 bird flu events nationally: 183 in South Australia, 86 in Victoria, 11 in New South Wales, 10 in Western Australia, seven in Tasmania and one in Queensland. The risk of the virus spreading to humans remains low, but people are urged to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report sightings to the relevant authority.
Other species at risk
Jack Gough, chief executive of the Invasive Species Council, warned that if the virus spreads to Australia's sea lion population, it could trigger an extinction-level event, adding that the outbreak is still in its early stages. Long-nosed fur seals and the endangered Australian sea lion are both classified by the federal government as facing very high risk from the virus.
The South Australian government also confirmed that a little penguin found on Kangaroo Island tested positive for H5 bird flu. Separately, Tasmanian authorities said 51 little penguins found dead on King Island are assumed to have died from bird flu, though this has not been declared a mass mortality event since only one sample from the group was confirmed positive.
