Second H5 bird flu case confirmed in South Australia

South Australia confirmed its second case of H5 bird flu after a giant petrel tested positive at Hardwicke Bay on the Yorke Peninsula. The bird was collected on Friday and sent for further testing after a state laboratory detected a low viral load. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said testing is underway on two additional suspected cases collected on Monday, one from Port Vincent on the Yorke Peninsula and one from Emu Bay on Kangaroo Island.

Samples from both birds have been sent to the CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong.

cases Western Australia reported two new suspected H5 cases in dead petrels found at Horrocks Beach north of Geraldton and at Mullaloo Beach in the Perth metropolitan area. Preliminary tests in Western Australia were positive for the H5 virus, and samples are being sent to the CSIRO for confirmation.

Officials said the virus has not been detected in commercial poultry or any non-migratory wild birds in South Australia, and it has not become established in any part of Australia.

Aerial survey results The second South Australia case follows the largest aerial survey of the state's coastline, islands, and reefs in more than four decades. The survey used helicopters, a fixed-wing plane, drones, and ground crews across two and a half days.

The operation recorded more than 30,000 seabirds and seals at about 600 locations, including 85 islands, islets, and reefs. Officials said the survey found no evidence of widespread impacts from H5 bird flu. "Encouragingly, over 5000 kilometres of surveillance has shown that we don't have widespread mortalities in either birds or in wildlife," Clare Scriven said.