In South Australia, more than a thousand terns may have died from H5N1
Authorities in the state of South Australia have reported three instances of mass bird deaths on remote islands. In total, more than 1,000 dead crested terns were found there, which, according to preliminary estimates, may have died from H5N1 avian influenza, ABC News Australia reports.
State Premier Peter Malinauskas told the South Australian Parliament that the dead birds were discovered on Wednesday. The cases were recorded on Traubridge Island near the York Peninsula, as well as on the two small islands of North Page and South Page near Kangaroo Island.
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According to Malinauskas, the mass die-off was detected by the state government’s disease surveillance teams. He called the loss of more than a thousand birds deeply alarming and noted that authorities are taking these cases seriously.
As of the date of this report, 177 confirmed cases of H5 avian influenza had been recorded in South Australia. The state government is also investigating a suspected case in a little penguin on Kangaroo Island. No mass deaths of mammals have been reported, and H5N1 has not been detected in poultry or livestock.
