Aerial surveillance has detected mass bird deaths in a second Australian state, in what authorities suspect is an escalation of the deadly H5 bird flu, with the environment minister warning Australia faces a 'long and difficult journey'.
Key facts
- Aerial surveillance has detected mass bird deaths in a second Australian state.
- The deaths are a suspected escalation of the spread of deadly H5 bird flu.
- CSIRO analysis confirmed Australia's first mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks off South Australia's coast.
- Environment minister Murray Watt said Australia had begun a 'long and difficult journey'.
- Watt warned more mass mortality events are likely.
Aerial surveillance has detected mass bird deaths in a second Australian state, in what authorities suspect is a further escalation of the spread of deadly H5 bird flu, according to the Guardian.
The environment minister, Murray Watt, said on Monday that Australia had begun ‘a long and difficult journey’ in confronting the outbreak. His warning came as CSIRO analysis confirmed Australia’s first mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks, off South Australia’s coast.
Watt indicated that the current situation is an early stage of a broader problem, saying more mass mortality events were likely. His comment that ‘this is the beginning’ pointed to expectations that the spread could worsen.
The detection in a second state marks a widening of the geographic footprint of the suspected outbreak. The Guardian reports the deaths are still suspected rather than confirmed for the second state, and further details of the scale and species affected were not immediately available.
Why it matters
The confirmation of Australia's first mass bird mortality event, together with suspected deaths in a second state, has prompted the environment minister to warn of a prolonged and challenging response. Authorities say more mass mortality events are likely, though the full scale of the outbreak is not yet known.
Frequently asked questions
Where was Australia's first confirmed mass mortality event?
According to the Guardian, CSIRO analysis confirmed Australia's first mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks, off South Australia's coast.
What did the environment minister say about the outbreak?
Environment minister Murray Watt said Australia had begun 'a long and difficult journey' and warned that more mass mortality events are likely, describing the situation as 'the beginning'.
How were the bird deaths detected?
The mass bird deaths in a second state were detected through aerial surveillance, according to the Guardian.