Breaking: Bird flu suspected to have spread to seal at key breeding ground
A suspected case of bird flu has been detected in a seal at a key breeding ground, a day after Australia's first case of the virus in a mammal was confirmed.
A suspected case of H5 bird flu has been discovered in a seal at The Pages Conservation Park, a crucial breeding site for the endangered Australian sea lion. This is the first detection of the virus in a mammal in Australia, following the confirmation of a seal's death in Beachport, South Australia. The Pages Islands, located off the coast of Kangaroo Island, were the site of a mass mortality event in birds last week, presumed to be caused by the H5 strain.
Samples from the suspect events have been sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for confirmation, with results expected soon. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt described the situation as "obviously a very serious development" but emphasized that it was not unexpected, stating that mass mortalities of birds and mammals were likely.
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