Australia: Australia has confirmed its first mass wildlife mortality linked to the deadly H5 bird flu, with greater crested terns found on Baudin Rocks, an island off South Australia's southeast coast, local media reported Monday. Dead and sick birds were detected on Friday during aerial surveillance on Baudin Rocks, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Cape Jaffa. Samples collected from the site later tested positive for H5 avian influenza.

According to Anadolu Agency, Australia, which remained the only continent free of the deadly virus until June 14, had since only detected bird flu in migratory subantarctic seabirds, mostly giant petrels, found on the coasts of South Australian, Western Australia, and New South Wales. The country has recorded 74 confirmed cases of the virus so far, including 54 in South Australia, 10 in Western Australia, seven in Victoria, two in New South Wales, and one in Queensland.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the mass mortality was expected. She emphasized that once the H5 bird flu spreads in wildlife and the natural environment, significant losses are unavoidable, which is beginning to manifest now. Collins assured that there was no evidence of the bird flu in poultry or agricultural systems, and the risk to human health remained low. Efforts have been made to enhance biosecurity within the agriculture and poultry sectors to prevent the virus from entering the agricultural system.

Collins further noted that Australians could expect to see bird flu continue to spread, affecting larger numbers of wildlife. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt highlighted the challenges in controlling the movement of native and wild birds, which will likely lead to more mass mortality events. He acknowledged that this marks the beginning of a prolonged and challenging period regarding the impacts on wildlife.

The national management plan for H5 bird flu has been activated, with an additional $24 million allocated from state and federal governments to address the situation.