The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is monitoring and responding to community reports of wild bird deaths as part of vital surveillance for the national response to H5 bird flu.
The enhanced Statewide surveillance effort follows the announcement yesterday (24 June) of a suspected positive detection of H5 bird flu in a southern giant petrel at Quindalup on the South West coast.
The single migratory petrel tested positive for H5 influenza in preliminary testing in WA.
This sample has been sent to CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Victoria to confirm if it is the H5 bird flu strain of concern. Results will be reported when available.
The number of confirmed WA cases remains at two – the two migratory seabirds previously reported - a brown skua and giant petrel found in the remote Cape Le Grand area, east of Esperance.
H5 bird flu was also confirmed yesterday in a giant petrel at Knights Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.
There were 69 reports to the Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) hotline yesterday (24 June). Of these reports, six have been prioritised by DPIRD based on the risk of H5 bird flu for further investigation and testing.
Testing of collected samples is ongoing and results will be provided when available.
Reports to the EAD hotline are routinely investigated and there is no suggestion any of these additional reports will be H5 bird flu.
Importantly, there have been no reports of large-scale mortalities and no evidence the virus has spread in WA wildlife.
DPIRD is also working closely with the poultry industry, veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators and local government with a series of webinars over the coming days.
Anyone who sees sick or dead birds or marine mammals should AVOID and not handle the animals but RECORD and take photos or a video and REPORT to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
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