Australia detects first mainland H5N1 case in wild seabird
Why it matters: The finding means the highly pathogenic strain has now been recorded on every continent.
Australia has detected its first mainland case of the H5N1 bird flu strain in a wild brown skua found at Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance in Western Australia. The discovery marks the first time the highly contagious variant has been confirmed on the Australian continent, ending its status as the last continent without a recorded case. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said a second bird, a southern petrel found exhausted on an Esperance beach, was also being tested. Officials said there was no evidence of mass animal deaths so far, but emergency animal disease authorities met Saturday as surveillance widened.