More than a dozen birds stretching from Geraldton to South Australia’s southern coast are undergoing urgent H5N1 testing after two infected migratory seabirds were discovered near Esperance.
The bird flu panic has gripped WA after almost 100 reports of sick or dead birds flooded the state’s emergency animal disease hotline in just three days, sparking the formation of a parliamentary Emergency Animal Diseases committee.
The surge in public concern follows recent confirmation of Australia’s first H5 bird flu cases in two migratory subantarctic birds found on Cape Le Grand beach — about 56km east of Esperance.
The Federal Government confirmed Australia’s first suspected case of the deadly global strain of bird flu had been discovered in a brown skua on June 14.
A second migratory bird, a giant petrel, returned a positive test for the H5 virus on Monday.
Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis revealed 94 calls were made to the hotline between Saturday and Monday.
“As previously reported, there were 58 reports made to the emergency animal disease hotline over the weekend,” she said.
“On Monday, the 22nd of June, there were 36 reports to the animal emergency disease hotline.”
Despite the spike in reports, only two of Monday’s cases were deemed significant enough to warrant laboratory testing.
“These samples include from two wild sea birds, a cormorant in the Perth metropolitan area, and a giant petrel in Geraldton,” Ms Jarvis said.
The latest samples bring the number of pending H5N1 test results across Western Australia to 11 as authorities race to determine whether the virus has spread.
“Preliminary results from all samples will be made public when available,” Ms Jarvis said.
“There is no evidence the virus has spread, but we have asked the community to remain alert and follow advice about reporting sick or dead birds or marine mammals.”
The virus has potentially stretched along the Great Australian Bight coastline, with two more dead birds found just across the border in South Australia.
The birds — a white-headed petrel and a soft-plumaged petrel — were found washed ashore at Fowlers Bay according to BirdLife Australia’s senior adviser Sean Dooley.
“Discovered on the opposite side of the Bight to Western Australia were two dead seabirds,” Mr Dooley told The West Australian.
“Both of those seabirds are Southern Ocean seabirds that move around the circumpolar Southern Ocean following the winds, and they do tend to come up closer to Australia in the winter.
“Both of those species breed on Crozet Island, which is north of Heard Island, and there had been bird flu outbreaks there in recent months and the last year or so.”
Mr Dooley said it’s not unusual for seabirds to be blown in or land exhausted, and then die if they’re not taken into care.
“So the fact that there are birds on the beach doesn’t necessarily mean it is bird flu, but given that bird flu is present on Crozet Island and Heard Island, and we have two positive cases, it’s really important that we take caution and treat any dead seabird that comes ashore as a potential victim of H5N1 bird flu,” he said.
Mr Dooley said he is trying to stay positive rather than jump to conclusions despite the destructive nature of the virus.
“BirdLife Australia has been extremely worried about this for about four years now, and we’ve been working to try and make sure we’re as best prepared as possible because if there’s an outbreak, it could well be devastating for many Australian native birds,” he said.
“At the moment, though, I’d be exercising a degree of caution in jumping to conclusions because lots of things kill seabirds and we don’t know yet whether bird flu is involved.”
Ms Jarvis also remained calm about the new discoveries, suggesting it is common to find dead birds along the coast in winter.
“I’m advised it’s not unusual for these type of sea birds, these migratory birds to be found along the West Australian coast, particularly this time of year, when weather events can blow them off course,” she said.
“And so it is not a concern that these birds were found, I guess, because of the species, the migratory nature of these birds. That’s why it was determined that there should be tests.“
However, confusion broke out within government ranks over what would trigger a major escalation in respone.
WA Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said on Monday it will take four more H5N1 detections for a “full response” to be triggered.
“As I understand it, it’s six birds (to trigger a full response), so it’s not very many at all,” he said.
Ms Jarvis, on Tuesday, said this simply isn’t true.
“As he walked into a press conference, he misspoke,” Ms Jarvis said about Mr Swinbourn.
“To provide some clarity around some media reports yesterday that it would take six positive results to escalate the current situation, that is not correct.”
Ms Jarvis confirmed the next stages of government response are determined by science, not a set number of discoveries.
“Any more positive results will be reported to the consultative committee made up of chief veterinary officers from around Australia,” she said.
“It is the chief veterinary officers that make the determination of the next phase, we are driven by the science, and so there is no, there is no set number.”
Ms Jarvis added that “the likely trigger (for a bigger response) would be that it has spread into wildlife”.
Official government documents outline that in response to a finding of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection in wild birds, the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases will be convened, and an epidemiological risk assessment of the situation will be conducted.
The official assessment will consider the virus subtype, the possible source of infection, the species of birds affected, the clinical status of the birds, and their proximity to commercial birds and public amenity areas.
According to government guidelines, no action will be required unless the risk assessment indicates an unacceptable threat to animal or public health.
When a response is necessary, it will be in line with the level of assessed risk and may include the declaration of restricted areas, surveillance to determine the extent of infection, enhanced biosecurity, a public awareness campaign to communicate risk and protection of public health in consultation with human health authorities.
The high stakes are outlined in the Government and Livestock Industry Cost Sharing Deed in Respect of Emergency Animal Disease Responses document, which classifies avian influenza H5 as a category two emergency animal disease.
The document defines category two as: “Emergency Animal Diseases that have the potential to cause major national socio-economic consequences through very serious international trade losses, national market disruptions and very severe production losses in the livestock industries that are involved.”
“This category includes diseases that may have slightly lower national socio-economic consequences, but also have significant public health and/or environmental consequences.”
Despite the severe classification, Ms Jarvis said there’s no need to panic buy, and that lockdowns limiting public access to egg and poultry farms are a precaution only.
“There has been no interruption to production. I would not expect there to be interruption of production,” Ms Jarvis said.
“The poultry industry is well prepared for this. In other jurisdictions overseas, this disease was not detected until it got into commercial flocks.
“We have the advantage of two years preparation. Egg farmers are well versed in what they need to do. I wouldn’t speak that we would see shortages like they saw in other countries.”
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