The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins, has addressed the media in Hobart regarding a suspected case of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, detected in a single migratory wild bird in a remote area of southern Western Australia.
Potential First Detection of H5 Strain in Mainland Australia
If confirmed, this would mark the first instance of the deadly H5 strain of bird flu being detected on mainland Australia. The initial testing conducted at the Western Australian Laboratory has yielded a suspected positive result for avian influenza.
Confirmatory Tests Underway
Samples have been dispatched to CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for confirmatory testing, with results anticipated by tomorrow. Minister Collins stated, "We cannot confirm yet whether it is the strain of concern that is circulating at this stage known as the H5 bird flu."
She emphasized that there is currently no evidence of mass mortality among wild birds, nor any indication of infection in poultry. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely as further test results become available.
