Heads up! Australian Antarctic Program scientists spotted signs of the H5 strain of avian influenza in elephant seals on Heard Island 🦭🦠. Over the past few days, unusually high mortality rates among these seals raised alarms during a routine visit.
Heard Island is an uninhabited Australian territory in the Southern Ocean, about 4,000 km southwest of the Australian mainland and 1,700 km north of Antarctica. So far, no unusual deaths have been reported among penguins or other seabirds on the island.
The discovery isn’t a total shock—H5 bird flu was detected on neighboring islands last year. Australia remains the only continent without a confirmed mainland case, and experts say this finding on Heard Island won’t significantly up the risk for folks back home.
Onboard the icebreaker RSV Nuyina, scientists collected seal samples safely. These will be sent for confirmatory testing once the vessel returns in mid-November. 📡🔬
Australia has already committed over A$100 million to beef up biosecurity against bird flu, including a national exercise in September 2024 to test response plans. This high-stakes prep shows how tech, teamwork, and early warning systems keep us ahead of potential outbreaks.
As Young Asia tracks these global trends, remember: wildlife health, climate change, and biosecurity are all connected. Stay tuned for updates—this is science in action! 🌏💡
Reference(s):
Signs of deadly bird flu detected on Australian sub-Antarctic island
cgtn.com
