Australian scientists have found suspected cases of H5 avian influenza, commonly known as ‘bird flu’, among wildlife during their visit to the sub-Antarctic Heard Island.
The island is part of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands external Australian territory. It is located in the Southern Ocean, over 4,000 km southwest of Perth and 1,700 km north of Antarctica.
The Australian Antarctic Program scientists were on a 10-day environmental management voyage to the region.
They observed unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals on the island, the Australian department of agriculture, fisheries and forestry said in its statement. Other species residing on the island, including penguins and other seabirds, did not exhibit such mortality levels.
A confirmed detection on Heard Island would not substantially increase the risk to Australia, the statement said.
“Seeing signs consistent with H5 bird flu in wildlife on Heard Island is not unexpected. This virus has previously been found on the French Kerguelen and Crozet sub-Antarctic islands, which are less than 450 km from Heard and McDonald Islands,” the statement said.
H5 avian influenza has not yet reached the Australian continent, the only one to remain free from the highly infectious strain of the disease.
The scientists collected samples which would undergo testing at the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. The results are likely to be available in some weeks.
Meanwhile, the disease has caused 56 outbreaks in 10 (mainland) European countries and Britain from August to mid-October. The most have been in Poland (the top EU poultry producer), Spain and Germany, France’s animal health surveillance body ESA said, according to newswire agency Reuters.
However, the total number of outbreaks remains lower compared to 2022, when the EU recorded its worst bird flu crisis.