A third case of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Australia, detected in a giant petrel found at Knights Beach on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. Two sick birds had been brought to a local wildlife rescue group on June 14, and testing confirmed one was positive for the virus while the other was negative. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said the state "responded quickly once notified" on June 19 and emphasized that this case involves a migratory bird, meaning the virus did not spread from Western Australia to South Australia.

The confirmation follows two earlier cases found near the town of Esperance in Western Australia, in a brown skua and a giant petrel found sick near the coastline. An additional bird found near the tourist town of Dunsborough, about 700 kilometres north-west of Esperance, has also tested positive but still requires confirmation from the national science agency, CSIRO. On Tuesday, WA authorities reported no new cases had been detected and stated there was no evidence the virus had spread into other wild populations. However, samples have been taken from a dead porpoise found washed ashore in the Esperance region and are still being tested for the virus.

The chief veterinary officer for Western Australia said this particular strain is "unlikely to spread from mammal to mammal," noting that mammals typically become infected by consuming birds. Volunteers who handled the sick birds in South Australia "will be given anti-viral medication if necessary." Officials urged anyone who sees unwell or dead birdlife to avoid contact, record the sighting, and report it through the national hotline. More seabirds are expected to wash ashore in Western Australia as the coast faces a forecast low-pressure system over the weekend.

A federal government assessment has identified more than 150 native bird species and 10 mammal species across Australia considered at very high risk of extinction or major decline if H5N1 spreads widely through wildlife populations. Among the very high risk bird species are the red goshawk, fairy tern, plains-wanderer, shy albatross, black swan, western hooded plover, swift parrot, and orange-bellied parrot, with the latter two already critically endangered. Migratory species such as the short-tailed shearwater, which travels 15,000 kilometres from the Arctic Circle to Australia, are also at very high risk. More than 10 mammal species assessed as very high risk include the endangered Australian sea-lion, the subantarctic fur seal, and the Australian fur seal. The Tasmanian devil and eastern quoll are listed as possibly at high risk.

Scientists at the University of Queensland discovered that black swans lack key immune genes that help other waterbirds fight the virus, do not detect H5N1 properly, and instead mount an uncontrolled inflammatory response when infected, making them a sentinel species whose widespread death would signal heavy viral presence in the environment. A federal environment department spokesperson noted that many of Australia's birds and mammals are found nowhere else on Earth, making the impacts of H5 bird flu difficult to predict. Until recently, Australia was the only continent free of the highly contagious H5N1 strain. State and federal governments have been preparing for the disease's likely arrival for several years, developing 100 response plans for species and habitats alongside the risk analysis.

Original Sources/Tags: abc.net.au, abc.net.au, theconversation.com, sbs.com.au, reuters.com, theconversation.com, thewest.com.au, theguardian.com, (australia), (esperance), (csiro), (seabirds), (volunteers), (testing), (confirmation), (outbreak)

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