Australia has become the final continent to confirm cases of the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza strain, and national authorities are now moving forward with an urgent vaccination program to protect the country’s most vulnerable native bird populations from the deadly pathogen. The first doses of the vaccine are set to be administered in the coming days and weeks, with captive birds and at-risk wild native species marked as the top priorities for protection.
In an official announcement Tuesday, the federal government confirmed it has secured AU$2 million ($1.4 million, £1 million) worth of H5N1 vaccines, totaling approximately 1,500 vials. State and territorial governments will oversee local distribution and implementation of the vaccination program, which was developed under a coordinated national framework.
Australia recorded its first confirmed case of H5N1 back in June, ending the continent’s status as the last remaining region of the world untouched by the strain. In the months since that initial detection, more than 230 separate cases have been confirmed across the country. Last week, the outbreak reached a grim new milestone when the first recorded mass mortality event occurred: roughly 50 greater crested terns died from the virus on an island off the coast of South Australia.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins explained that while the vaccination effort cannot halt the ongoing spread of the virus as the outbreak intensifies across wild bird populations, it will focus resources on the priority species that face the greatest risk of severe population decline or extinction from the disease. “While little can be done to stop the spread among wild birds and across the country, we can take action to protect the species most at risk,” Collins said.
The minister also emphasized that the overall risk of H5N1 transmission to humans remains low, and to date, there is no evidence that the virus has spread to commercial poultry operations or disrupted Australia’s agriculture sector.
Collins warned the public to prepare for further spread of the virus in the coming months, noting “Australians should expect to see more spread and larger numbers, particularly of dead birds and mass mortalities around the country from the H5 bird flu.”
Environment Minister Murray Watt characterized the ongoing outbreak as a “serious event” and confirmed that each vaccinated bird will require two doses of the vaccine to build full immunity. Earlier this month, the federal government published a comprehensive risk assessment for over 2,000 of Australia’s unique native bird and mammal species, ranking each based on their vulnerability and susceptibility to the virus. The assessment found that a small number of iconic native species face potential extinction if hard hit by the outbreak, while hundreds more could see severe, long-term reductions in their wild populations.