A long-nosed fur seal found dead at Beachport in South Australia on Wednesday tested positive for H5 bird flu, marking the first confirmed case in a mammal on the Australian mainland. The discovery came days after the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, announced three mass mortality events on offshore islands involving more than 1,000 greater crested terns.
The highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has killed millions of birds globally and has crossed over into mammal species, including elephant seals. The federal government has assessed long-nosed fur seals and the endangered Australian sea lion as facing very high risk from the virus.
The South Australian government also confirmed this week that a little penguin found at Kangaroo Island tested positive for H5 bird flu.
