Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in SA as researchers withdrawn from sub-Antarctic island over ‘psychosocial risk’
Australian government announces 24 expeditioners based at research station on Macquarie Island will be evacuated over possible ‘prolonged psychological stress’ A dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus. It comes as the federal government announced it would withdraw researchers from the subantarctic Macquarie…
A dolphin from South Australia has died from H5 bird flu, marking the second native mammal species to contract the virus. Researchers are being evacuated from the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island research station due to the "psychosocial risk" of witnessing potential mass seal deaths from H5N1. About 100 dead little penguins have been found on King Island in Tasmania, but they were not tested for H5 bird flu due to their "decayed condition".
The federal government has confirmed the dolphin was positive for H5N1 and sent samples for further analysis. The common dolphin is considered at high risk from bird flu, potentially facing severe population declines if the virus takes hold.
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.
