South Australia has confirmed a second instance of the H5 strain of bird flu, this time located on the Yorke Peninsula. The recent case involves a giant petrel discovered at Hardwicke Bay, which is situated roughly 104 kilometers from Adelaide. Testing conducted at a state laboratory identified a low viral load in the bird.
Clare Scriven, the Primary Industries Minister, announced that authorities are also investigating two additional suspected cases. On Monday, samples were collected from one bird in Port Vincent on the Yorke Peninsula and another from Emu Bay on Kangaroo Island. These samples have been forwarded to the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong for comprehensive examination.
In light of these developments, officials have advised the public on how to respond to sightings of sick or deceased birds. They recommend avoiding direct contact and instead documenting the situation through photos or videos. Individuals should report any such incidents to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline at 1800 675 888.
Minister Scriven emphasized the government’s proactive approach, encouraging community vigilance in reporting any sick or dead wildlife. She reassured the public that the H5 bird flu has not been detected in commercial poultry or non-migratory wild birds within South Australia, nor has it established a foothold anywhere in Australia.
This latest confirmation follows the largest aerial survey of South Australia’s coastline, islands, and reefs conducted in over 40 years. The survey, which took place over two and a half days, utilized helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft, drones, and ground crews to monitor approximately 600 locations, covering more than 30,000 seabirds and seals across 85 islands, islets, and reefs from the Head of Bight to The Pages, east of Kangaroo Island.
Scriven expressed optimism about the results of the surveillance, noting that over 5,000 kilometers of monitoring indicated no widespread mortality among birds or wildlife, suggesting that these incidents remain isolated.
The first confirmed case of bird flu in South Australia was also a giant petrel, identified on June 24. Other regions in Australia, including New South Wales and Western Australia, have reported cases of this highly contagious virus.
