Australia to vaccinate birds against H5 avian influenza

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - As of yesterday, authorities have reported there are 231 confirmed or presumed positive detections of H5 bird flu in Australia. — Leanne Buchan/Leanne Buchan Photography handout pic via AFPF

SYDNEY, Aug 11 — Australian authorities said today they would vaccinate bird species deemed to be especially vulnerable to the highly contagious H5 bird flu virus.

The country was for years the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and death in poultry and wild birds worldwide.

The first Australian case was discovered in a migratory sea bird in June and last week the government reported its first mass mortality event in wildlife.

As part of efforts to protect birds, officials said they would roll out targeted vaccinations for both captive and wild species.

“It is difficult to vaccinate birds in the wild — it does take two vaccination doses to vaccinate birds,” environment minister Murray Watt said.

“It is difficult to catch wild birds once, let alone twice,” he said.

“Where it is possible to vaccinate wild birds, we will do so, but the priority is to vaccinate birds that are in captivity.”

Agriculture minister Julie Collins said Australia should expect to see more mass bird deaths.

“This will continue to spread across the country,” she said.

The wild birds most affected by the H5 strain include waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds and birds of prey.

As of yesterday, authorities have reported there are 231 confirmed or presumed positive detections of H5 bird flu in Australia.

There have been no cases detected in poultry or in the country’s agriculture production.

Almost half of Australia’s wild bird species, and 83 per cent of its mammals, are found nowhere else.

The H5 bird flu strain killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after infecting a breeding colony on the remote Heard and McDonald Islands, Australian scientists said in June. — AFP