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 has become the first Australian mammal to succumb to the H5 bird flu strain, marking a concerning development in the virus's spread across mainland Australia. The unfortunate seal was discovered deceased at Beachport, located on South Australia's Limestone Coast. This tragic event follows three mass mortality incidents involving terns on offshore islands, with over 1,000 greater crested terns reportedly affected.
Premier Peter Malinauskas had recently reported these mass mortalities, highlighting the rapid escalation in the spread of the highly pathogenic bird flu. The virus has already claimed the lives of millions of birds globally and has now crossed over to infect certain mammal species, including elephant seals. The federal government has identified long-nosed fur seals and the endangered Australian sea lion as being at particularly high risk from this lethal virus.
Additionally, a little penguin found on Kangaroo Island this week also tested positive for the H5 bird flu strain.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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