What We Know About Australia’s Bird Flu, Which Has Crossed Over to Mammals

Australia confirmed its first case of H5N1 in June in migratory seabirds. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly, straining government responses.

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Australia ⁠is grappling with rising cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza

SANKA VIDANAGAMA/Contributor/Getty Images Australia has crossed another grim threshold in its H5N1 bird flu outbreak. For the first time, the virus has infected an Australian mainland mammal: a long-nosed fur seal found dead at Beachport on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, about a four-hour drive southeast of Adelaid

South Australian authorities confirmed the nation's first mammalian detection of the H5N1 virus in a long-nosed fur seal, which was found dead with no signs of injury.

Australian authorities said the deadly virus's spread to mammals was "concerning" but "not unexpected."

The agriculture minister says it's distressing but not unexpected to see other wildlife getting infected.

Australia confirms first H5N1 bird flu case in local mammal  Reuters

HEALTH-BIRDFLU/AUSTRALIA:Australia confirms first H5N1 bird flu case in local mammal

A long-nosed fur seal found in South Australia tests positive for bird flu.

Follow live A long-nosed fur seal has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the first confirmed case in a mammal on the Australian mainland. The New Zealand fur seal was found dead at Beachport on Wednesday on the state’s Limestone Coast. It marks a fresh escalation in the spread of the virus days aft