MELBOURNE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The southeast Australian state of Victoria on Thursday reported its first case of H5N1 avian influenza, meaning the deadly strain has now been detected in all five mainland states.
Agriculture Victoria said the virus was detected in a greater crested tern found near the coastal town of Portland, about 300 km west of Melbourne.
Further genetic testing was being conducted at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness to formally confirm the result.
It marks Victoria's first case of the strain, which was first detected on the Australian mainland in Western Australia (WA) in June.
Prior to the first detection in WA, Australia was the only continent free from the highly pathogenic strain, which has caused the deaths of millions of birds and thousands of marine mammals globally since 2020.
Victoria's Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke said on Thursday that the state had enacted its emergency animal disease response plan.
"Based on international experience, this H5 variant differs from previous strains and has been known to cause large numbers of deaths in wild birds and some mammals," he said.
"Our plans aim to limit impacts where possible, particularly on our most threatened species, while also supporting our farmers and reducing risk to domestic and commercial poultry."
He said farms should review their biosecurity protocols.
Portland is located about 70 km east of Victoria's border with South Australia (SA), where authorities have confirmed local transmission of the virus between greater crested terns.
SA authorities on Wednesday reported that 11 greater crested terns had returned positive results in preliminary state testing, including seven found on the state's southeast coast about 160 km from Portland. The samples were sent for further testing.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said authorities were satisfied that local transmission had occurred between greater crested terns in SA. ■
