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The first case of bird flu in Australia has been confirmed after an infected seabird was found in the remote Cape Le Grand area, east of Esperance on Friday.
The confirmed case of H5 bird flu is the first recorded case in Australia and has launched a multi-agency response, along with advice to the general public to “be on alert”.
On Saturday, WA minister for agriculture Jackie Jarvis said a giant petrel was also found unwell in the area and underwent testing overnight that revealed it was also suffering avian flu with further tests currently being undertaken to determine which strand it has.
The two birds were found kilometres apart on a stretch of WA’s south coast.
“Importantly, there have been no detections in poultry, and there is no evidence of mass mortality,” she said.
“Australia is well prepared to respond quickly to H5 bird flu to protect poultry production and reduce the impact on wildlife and our communities.”
Jervis said that in response to suspicions about the bird flu case, multiple calls were made overnight to the emergency animal disease hotline in relation to other dead birds found along WA’s coast. She said testing of those carcasses was currently taking place.
“We ask the community to be alert,” she said. “As with any biosecurity response, the community is a vital partner. We all have an important role to play in protecting our wildlife, our poultry, and other animals against H5 bird flu.”
Surveillance for H5 bird flu will now be enhanced together with targeted engagement with the poultry industry, veterinarians and wildlife carers.
Jervis said it was “very rare” for a person to contract bird flu from an animal, adding that there were “no cases of humans to human transition, as far as I’m aware”.
“I am advised that it would take sustained contact with a diseased animal, which is why we are saying, as an abundance of caution, please don’t go near animals,” she said.
“The cases of human avian influenza, I understand, are rare, and so the main way it could happen would be sustained contact with a diseased animal or bird.”
WA Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Michelle Rodan said that two vagrant species does not mean we have bird flu “established” in Australia but said the Consultative Committee of Emergency Animal Disease met on Saturday morning to coordinate a response and put together a national surveillance plan.
Jervis said the state government put funding in place two years ago to train private vets across WA to assist in an animal biosecurity response such as this, “including increased field personnel and diagnostic testing capability”.
“We are activating these networks as part of the efforts, as I said yesterday, we have been preparing for the arrival of bird flu for some time,” she said.
Advice to the community is to keep pets away from wildlife, particularly preventing cats from roaming and keeping dogs on leads in wildlife areas.
Wild birds should also not be prevented from mixing with or accessing the food and water of domestic birds and the advice is to wash hands thoroughly with soap before handling any birds.
The community can assist by reporting any dead or sick birds or marine mammals to Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
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