CANBERRA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The state of South Australia (SA) on Wednesday reported a suspected case of the H5N1 bird flu strain in a red fox, marking the country's first suspected case in a land mammal.
The SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions reported five new suspected H5N1 bird flu events on Wednesday, including the fox that was found in the northern suburbs of the state capital of Adelaide.
If testing by the Australian Center for Disease Preparedness confirms the case, it would be the first detection of the deadly strain in a land mammal anywhere in Australia and the first case in a mammal found in a metropolitan area.
The state government on Tuesday announced that an H5N1 bird flu vaccination program has been approved for up to 100 birds across 30 native species at a wildlife park in southeast Adelaide. ■