Melbourne, Aug 13 (IANS) The Australian island state of Tasmania on Thursday reported its first confirmed case of H5N1 avian influenza, meaning the deadly strain has now been detected in every state.
Gavin Pearce, Tasmania’s minister for primary industries and water, told reporters that testing of a migratory brown skua found dead on the state’s northwest coast had returned a positive reading for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.
He said that the bird was found by Parks and Wildlife Service staff who have been conducting active surveillance of coastal areas.
It makes Tasmania the sixth and final Australian state to report a case of H5N1, which was first detected on the mainland in Western Australia (WA) in June.
Pearce said that authorities in the state have been working with industry, wildlife and biosecurity experts to strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response arrangements.
“I want to reassure Tasmanians that we are prepared to respond to H5 bird flu, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available,” he said.
Australia’s Agriculture Minister Julie Collins on Tuesday announced that the federal government has acquired an initial 1,500 vials of the H5N1 vaccine that will be administered to high-risk birds in captivity, Xinhua news agency reported.
Tasmania’s Environment Minister Guy Barnett said on Thursday that the state would begin vaccinating up to 350 critically endangered orange-bellied parrots in captivity once approval was received.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) is a subtype of influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare instances. The goose/Guangdong-lineage of H5N1 avian influenza viruses first emerged in 1996 and have been causing outbreaks in birds since then. Since 2020, a variant of these viruses belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has led to an unprecedented number of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. In 2021, the virus spread to North America, and in 2022, to Central and South America.
–IANS
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