CSIRO confirms Qld’s first case of bird flu in petrel found off Brisbane

The CSIRO has confirmed the first case of H5 bird flu detected in Queensland, after positive tests returned for a dead seabird discovered on an island off Brisbane. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers had found the petrel on the eastern shore of Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) in the last week, with positive state lab tests. Under national protocol the bird was sent to the Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong, Victoria, for official confirmation – which came on Saturday.

Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Allison Crook said in a statement that the arrival of cases among birds in the state was expected. But authorities say there remains no detection in poultry or evidence of large-scale deaths in any animals across the state, with the risk to human health low. “We have known that a H5 bird flu detection in Queensland was a matter of when, not if,” Crook said, urging people to avoid contact with dead wildlife and report any to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

“This confirmed positive result has not impacted our poultry sector or native wildlife … I encourage the community and industry to continue to be vigilant.” As of Friday, there had been 17 confirmed cases in Australia since a brown skua, another sea bird, tested positive to H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza just more than a month ago.

Of those cases, 10 were in Western Australia, five were in South Australia, and two were in NSW. A sick petrel discovered on the Sunshine Coast earlier this month was thought to be Queensland’s first case, but later tested negative. With Julius Dennis Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights.

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