Tasmania Confirms First H5N1 Bird Flu Case in Migratory Seabird

Tasmania has identified its first case of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu after a dead brown skua was discovered on the northwest coast. This marks the sixth Australian state to report the virus, following detections in the other five states. The infected bird was found at Burgess Cove near Rocky Cape during active surveillance by Parks and Wildlife Service staff.

Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that the detection involved a single bird and did not constitute an outbreak. Primary Industries and Water Minister Gavin Pearce assured Tasmanians that the state is prepared to respond, emphasizing that no evidence of an outbreak exists and there is no commercial poultry involvement.

Brown skuas are migratory seabirds that breed in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions and frequently visit Tasmania. The first confirmed H5N1 case in Australia was also found in a brown skua in Western Australia. Authorities are conducting further tests to ascertain how the Tasmanian bird contracted the virus. Tasmania has heightened its efforts to safeguard endangered wildlife, including the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot, which faces a significant threat from the virus.

The government plans to vaccinate about 350 captive birds once approval is obtained. The federal government has secured 1,500 doses of an H5N1 vaccine for high-risk captive birds. Tasmania has carried out aerial surveys covering over 980 kilometers of coastline as part of its early detection measures. Authorities have encouraged residents to report sick or deceased birds and wildlife to bolster the state's biosecurity response.