Canberra [Australia], August 4: Australia has warned that H5N1 bird flu is likely to spread further, after the country's first mass mortality episode among seabirds killed about 50 greater crested terns off the coast south of Adelaide.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said on Monday testing confirmed H5N1 bird flu in a group of 49 dead and 35 sick terns found by helicopter surveillance on rocks off Cape Jaffa, 250km from Adelaide on Friday.
However, there is no evidence yet of the virus on Australia's farms, many of which have locked down to safeguard poultry flocks since it was first detected in June.
"Australians should expect to see more spread and larger numbers now of wildlife being affected," Collins told reporters in the capital, Canberra.
Australia and New Zealand, which saw its first H5N1 case last month, have spent years bracing for the virus, with steps such as tighter biosecurity at farms, testing of shore birds, vaccinating vulnerable species and war-gaming response plans.
Source: Qatar Tribune
