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Australia confirms first H5N1 bird flu case in local mammal
Officials said the seal’s infection is linked to 298 H5 bird flu events nationwide and comes as the virus spreads through wild birds.
- On Saturday, Australian authorities confirmed the nation's first H5N1 case in a mammal after a long-nosed fur seal was found dead in Beachport, South Australia, approximately 310km south of Adelaide.
- Australia has recorded 298 positive H5N1 events since the outbreak began several months ago, becoming the final continent to report the virus after detection on Heard Island in late 2025.
- Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the seal's death 'does not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals,' attributing the infection to exposure to infected wild birds.
- Collins will travel to South Australia 'in the coming days' to discuss the state's response, while a vaccination program for more than 5,000 little penguins across Phillip Island began on Monday.
- The virus has yet to show up in Australia's poultry or agriculture, though authorities reported mass seabird deaths in August, marking an escalation of the outbreak that began in migratory seabirds.
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16 Articles
16 Articles
Shafaq News – Sydney: Australian authorities confirmed on Sunday the first case of the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza virus in a domestic mammal, after a long-nosed fur seal was found infected in South Australia. Authorities in South Australia said the infected seal was found in the coastal town of Beechport, about 310 kilometers southeast of Adelaide, the state capital. This case comes as Australia faces a surge in highly contagious avi…
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left4Leaning Right3Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 33%
C 42%
R 25%
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