Fur seal‘s death marks first Australian mainland mammal fatality from spreading H5 bird flu strain
Seal found dead at Beachport in South Australia on Wednesday follows three mass mortality events in terns Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A long-nosed fur seal has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the first confirmed case in a mammal on the Australian mainland. The seal was found dead at Beachport…
A long-nosed fur seal found dead at Beachport in South Australia has marked the first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in a mammal on the Australian mainland. This tragic event follows three mass mortality incidents involving terns on offshore islands, where over 1,000 greater crested terns perished. The highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has already claimed millions of lives among bird populations worldwide and has crossed over to affect various mammal species.
The federal government has assessed long-nosed fur seals and the endangered Australian sea lion as being at very high risk from the virus. Additionally, a little penguin found on Kangaroo Island this week also tested positive for H5 bird flu.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
