Australia's first bird flu case in a mammal confirmed in South Australia

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A long-nosed fur seal is Australia's first case of H5 bird flu in a mammal.  (ABC South East SA: Caroline Horn/File)

Australia's first case of bird flu in a mammal has been confirmed following testing of a long-nosed fur seal found in South Australia.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has told reporters in Hobart the seal was found at Beachport, 300 kilometres south of Adelaide.

"This is sadly our first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in a mammal in Australia," Ms Collins said.

"Although this is a concerning development, it is not unexpected for us to start to see infection in other wildlife, particularly in marine mammals, particularly in areas where there are high infection rates in wild birds.

"I have been advised that at this time the detection does not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals.

"An infection of this individual animal is likely to have occurred due to exposure to infected wild birds or the environment that they share."

There have now been 298 positive H5 bird flu events recorded in Australia since the outbreak.

Ms Collins said there was no evidence of infection in poultry or agriculture.

She said she would be travelling to South Australia "in the coming days" to discuss the state's response to H5 bird flu.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-23/australias-first-bird-flu-case-in-mammal-confirmed-in-sa/107068380


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Poor old "mother nature" ... seems to be trying her damnedest to cut the Human population, but we keep finding ways to prevent her from achieving her aims.

Covid vaccines were the latest example of thwarting her ... will we overcome the bird flu attempt?   :-/

Quote:

Poor old "mother nature" ... seems to be trying her damnedest to cut the Human population, but we keep finding ways to prevent her from achieving her aims.

More like humanity has made a suicide pact with ourselves and sooner more likely than later, we will succeed.

H5N1 is another attack on the global food chain. Collapse is a little closer.

The two biggest countries by population, China and India, are going to see their populations collapse in the next decade. China is already going backwards with its population. India won't be far behind.

With this bird flu going around, we can do our darndest to keep it at bay and treat the sick animals. But we will have to plan for the worst and find ways to deal with an outbreak.

What's China and Indian human population have to do with H5N1 ?

Japan, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, Portugal, Latvia, etc demographic time bombs from aging. Russia and Ukraine, from a collapse in their male populations due to Russia's attack.

India has a vast youth population. 800 million under 35.

China is countering it's aging population by automation it's economy. Leading the world in ai and robotics.




What plan does Australia have. What I understand is, we are standing back while H5N1 kills off our wildlife. Probably extincting a few.

A few injections into zoo animals. A few injection into tourist penguins is shite preparation.

Verses NZ, where 300 pairs of each their five most endangered bird species have already being vaccinated.
NZ health authorities are updating national pandemic plans to include H5N1 scenarios.

Captain Nemo wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2026 at 12:15pm:

Poor old "mother nature" ... seems to be trying her damnedest to cut the Human population, but we keep finding ways to prevent her from achieving her aims. Covid vaccines were the latest example of thwarting her ... will we overcome the bird flu attempt?   :-/

;D
So ironically true! Well said.

I expect the world to become sicker and sicker in time. More diseases and viruses

Ai_Killed_Humanity wrote on Aug 25^th, 2026 at 3:35am:

What's China and Indian human population have to do with H5N1 ?

Somone made the comment that mother nature was doing its bit to reduce the human population. H5N1 being one of the more recent ways to cull human numbers by killing off our food sources.

Suspected bird flu infection in red fox in metro Adelaide

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A red fox is suspected of having contracted H5N1 bird flu. (iNaturalist: Eddy Smith, Red fox, CC BY-NC 4.0)

South Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has reported a suspected H5N1 infection in a red fox.

There are 195 confirmed H5 bird flu events in South Australia.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-26/red-fox-suspected-of-h5n1-infection-in-adelaide-suburb/107079798

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