Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said that the H5 strain of bird flu is transmitting locally among wild birds in South Australia [1, 2].
The confirmation marks a shift from sporadic imported cases to active community spread within wild bird populations. While the virus is highly contagious, authorities are monitoring the situation to prevent the pathogen from entering the domestic poultry sector or jumping to humans.
The virus has been identified among greater crested terns across several regions, including Kangaroo Island and the state's South East [2]. Two native birds found dead on a metropolitan beach near Adelaide also tested positive for the virus [3].
Federal authorities identified up to 11 new suspected wild-bird cases in South Australia [4]. Some reports listed the number of suspected cases as seven [5], but officials continue to track the spread through the wild population.
"Local transmission has occurred," Collins said [1]. The chief veterinary officer said that the highly contagious H5 bird flu virus has started spreading locally among wild birds in Australia [2].
Despite the spread in wild populations, the agricultural sector has not yet been impacted. There have been zero cases detected in poultry or agricultural industries [3]. South Australian authorities said it is "very, very likely" that the strain is spreading locally [4].
Public health officials said that the risk to human health is currently assessed as low [2]. The spread is attributed to natural bird movements, which allow the virus to travel between habitats — a common characteristic of avian influenza.
“"Local transmission has occurred,"”
The transition to local transmission indicates that the H5 virus has established a foothold in Australia's wild bird populations. While the lack of poultry infections protects the immediate food supply and economy, the presence of the virus in metropolitan areas increases the necessity for rigorous biosafety surveillance to prevent zoonotic spillover into humans.
