Australia: First case of H5N1 bird flu reported in Sydney

Sydney: Authorities on Friday reported the first confirmed case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in Sydney, Australia.

Tara Moriarty, the agriculture minister in New South Wales (NSW), told reporters that testing detected the H5N1 strain in a greater crested tern found in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in late August.

It represents the first confirmed case in Sydney after the highly pathogenic strain reached the Australian mainland in June.

Moriarty said Sydney residents with pet birds or chickens should take precautions to avoid interacting with wild birds, and people with dogs should ensure they don’t eat carcasses or chase wild birds.

The local mayor for the Northern Beaches, Sue Heins, said that the case will likely be the first of many and the region should brace for the “potentially devastating impacts” of the highly pathogenic strain, which has caused the deaths of millions of birds worldwide.

According to the latest data from the federal government, as of Wednesday, there have been 468 confirmed events of H5N1 bird flu across Australia, 20 of which have been in NSW, Xinhua news agency reported.

The NSW government said there have been no detections in commercial poultry flocks, captive birds or livestock in the state.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), H5N1 is one of several influenza viruses that causes a highly infectious respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or “bird flu”). Infections in mammals, including humans, have also been documented.

H5N1 influenza virus infection can cause a range of diseases in humans, from mild to severe and in some cases, it can even be fatal. Symptoms reported have primarily been respiratory, but conjunctivitis and other non-respiratory symptoms have also been reported. There have also been a few detections of A(H5N1) virus in persons who were exposed to infected animals or their environments but who did not show any symptoms.

The goose/Guangdong-lineage of H5N1 avian influenza viruses first emerged in 1996 and has been causing outbreaks in birds since then. Since 2020, a variant of these viruses has led to an unprecedented number of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries.

First affecting Africa, Asia and Europe, in 2021, the virus spread to North America, and in 2022, to Central and South America. From 2021 to 2022, Europe and North America observed their largest and most extended epidemic of avian influenza with unusual persistence of the virus in wild bird populations.

Since 2022, there have been increasing reports of deadly outbreaks among mammals also caused by influenza A(H5) – including influenza A(H5N1) – viruses. There are likely to be more outbreaks that have not been detected or reported. Both land and sea mammals have been affected, including outbreaks in farmed fur animals, seals, sea lions, and detections in other wild and domestic animals such as foxes, bears, otters, raccoons, cats, dogs, cows, goats and others.

IANS