The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry confirmed the first case of H5N1 bird flu in Australia, found in a single seabird near Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia.
Response and Precautions
Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is responding as part of a nationally coordinated plan to reduce the impact of this disease. The spread to humans is rare, but the outbreak in the U.S. has left millions of birds dead and caused grocery store hikes and shortages, particularly with eggs.
A second case of another migratory bird is also suspected near Esperance. Importantly, there have been no detections in poultry and there is no evidence of mass mortality, according to Western Australia’s agricultural minister, Jackie Jarvis.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
