International infectious disease experts are urging Australia to strengthen testing and surveillance as the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus continues to spread across the country.
Recent detections in wild migratory birds, including New South Wales’ first confirmed case, have raised the national total to six confirmed infections.
Experts say Australia should focus on monitoring wild birds and marine mammals to detect the virus before it reaches poultry farms.
They also warned that insufficient surveillance was a key mistake made in other countries and stressed the need for rapid testing, genomic sequencing, and coordinated biosecurity measures.
Authorities say there is currently no evidence that the virus has spread to commercial poultry or poses a significant risk to the public, but they are urging people to report sick or dead birds and avoid handling them.
