Source : Perth Now news
Australia’s first suspected case of a deadly global strain of bird flu has been found in WA, the Federal Government has confirmed.
Local authorities are urgently investigating the potential arrival of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 strain which has already wiped out millions of wild birds and marine mammals globally.
If confirmed it would be mainland Australia’s first confirmed case, with Australia the only continent still completely free of the virus.
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development had launched an immediate probe into the matter.
“The initial testing at the Western Australian laboratory has returned a suspected positive result for avian influenza,” Ms Collins told the ABC.
Ms Collins stressed the highly destructive H5 strain has not yet been officially identified in this case.
“We cannot confirm yet whether it is the strain of concern that is circulating, at this stage, known as the H5 bird flu,” she said.
In a reassuring sign for local industries and conservationists there are currently no indications of mass wildlife deaths or any spread to domestic commercial poultry farms
