The Latest Breaking News from Bird Flu

Quest to protect rare parrot from deadly bird flu

Scientists believe the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot is particularly susceptible to the H5 bird flu strain which is spreading across Australia.

AAP · Sep 1

Bird flu could devastate Macquarie Island. Why are we removing the scientists we need to understand it?

Australia’s Macquarie Island lies deep in the Southern Ocean, about 1,500 kilometres southeast of Tasmania. This World Heritage-listed sanctuary is a haven for species such as elephant and fur seals, penguins, albatrosses and petrels, and a key site for wildlife researchers.

The Conversation · Sep 1

'A real mess': wildlife volunteers call for support to help equip them for H5 bird flu battleground

Community-based groups want the NSW government to follow the Western Australian lead.

Newcastle Herald · Sep 1

Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in SA as researchers withdrawn from sub-Antarctic island over ‘psychosocial risk’

Expeditioners at research station on Macquarie Island will be evacuated over possible ‘psychological stress’, while 100 dead little penguins found on Tasmanian island

The Guardian - AU · Aug 28

Dolphin contracts bird flu as staff pulled from island

With bird flu now being detected in dolphins, scientists are being evacuated from a remote Australian territory to protect them from psychological distress.

AAP · Aug 28

Bird flu is here to stay. NZ’s response must keep adapting as the virus takes hold

The confirmation of Australia’s first mainland death of a mammal from bird flu last week highlights New Zealand’s challenge to manage the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

The Conversation · Aug 27

'Deeply unserious': funding boost for bird flu slammed

The federal government has announced a boost to its bird flu response, but a conservation group says it amounts to a "drop in the ocean".

AAP · Aug 27

Iconic Australian mammals could be at real risk from bird flu. Could we protect them using vaccines in baits?

The deadly rabies virus was once common across Europe. A bite from an infected dog, wolf or fox could be fatal.

The Conversation · Aug 26

‘Frequently fumigate the hen-houses’: how ancient Greeks and Romans tried to treat sick birds

Since the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu was first confirmed in Australian wild birds in June, it has rapidly spread around the continent – and among different species. The virus has been linked to the deaths of more than 1,000 crested terns in South Australia, as well as two dozen…

The Conversation · Aug 26

In 2022, bird flu caused an entire Sandwich tern colony in England to be abandoned; four breeding seasons later, the birds have returned in record numbers, creating one of the country’s largest colonies

In an inspiring turn of events, Sandwich Terns have returned to Pagham Harbour in unprecedented numbers following a devastating bird flu outbreak. Thanks to dedicated habitat restoration and predator management efforts, conservationists have helped establish one of England's largest breeding colonies. The sight of flourishing chicks this breeding season, nourished…

The Times of India · Aug 26