Minister Warns the New Bird Flu Variant Could Land in Australia Soon

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is concerned avian influenza could present an extinction risk to some birds.

A person holds a test tube labelled "Bird Flu", in this picture illustration, on January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Environmental Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government is taking bird flu very seriously amid concerns that it could be on its way to the country.

H5 is a highly pathogenic bird flu strain detected in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and South America.

In a speech at the 2024 Zoo and Aquarium Association Annual Conference, Plibersek warned, “The new H5 variant is coming for us.”

“High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza or Avian Flu is something that the government is taking very seriously and preparing for. Because the new H5 variant is coming for us,” she said.

Plibersek explained this will require an “all-in approach” with public and private organisations working together.

“The federal government, together with state and territory governments, want to work with you,” she told the conference.

The minister explained that the government is concerned about the threat that a new variant could pose to birds facing extinction.

“We are also worried that species in the wild that are currently doing well - or travelling along okay - will become vulnerable to extinction due to mass death,” Plibersek said.

Plibersek said avian influenza does not just impact birds. It also impacts mammals overseas, noting that seals and lions are at “particularly high risk.”

“The spring bird migration from the northern hemisphere in the coming months is a particularly dangerous time,” she added.

Plibersek’s warning echoed similar concerns from the Doherty Institute in May that a “dangerous bird flu strain” was knocking on Australia’s door.

The warning noted that penguins, pelicans, sea lions, and dairy cows had been hit by the “fast-spreading” and often lethal high-pathogenicity avian influenza known as H5N1.

“This virus is threatening the survival of entire species,” the institute said.

Bird Flu H7 Strain in Australia

Australian authorities classify avian influenza strains as high pathogenicity (HPAI) or low pathogenicity (LPAI).

Despite H5 influenza not spreading to wild birds in Australia, the H7 high pathogenicity strain has been detected at 16 Australian poultry farms in recent months.

This includes eight in Victoria, six in New South Wales (NSW), and two in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

In Victoria, H7N3 bird flu has been found at seven properties, while the H79 strain has been found at one property, according to an update from Agriculture Victoria

“Seven infected properties close to Meredith have been infected with a dangerous strain of avian influenza called H7N3. A property near Terang has become infected with a highly contagious strain called H7N9, ” the alert  updated Aug 2 states.

Also, in Victoria, a human case of H5N1 infection was detected in a child who acquired the infection in Victoria and returned to Australia from overseas in March 2024.

“There is no evidence of transmission in Victoria and the chance of additional human cases is very low as avian influenza does not easily spread between people,” the Victorian government said at the time. 

Meanwhile, avian influenza was identified in NSW at two poultry farms in the Greater Sydney Basin and ACT border region in June.

“Four individual detections also occurred on non-commercial properties within the restricted emergency zone close to the original detection,” the government said.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) expressed relief the strain of influenza in the state is different to H5N1.

“Australia remains free of the H5N1 strain of HPAI,” the department said.

In the ACT, avian influenza H798 was identified on June 27. To manage the spread, a quarantine order remained in place until December 2024.

No Need to Panic

Following news of the outbreak in Australia, Monash University virologist Dr. Vinod Balasubramaniam said H5N1 avian influenza poses a public health threat.

“While rare, human infections typically result from direct contact with infected birds or their environments, with sporadic cases reported globally, including recent occurrences in Egypt, Vietnam, and China,” he said. 

However, he said the public need not panic because current surveillance and response efforts “aim to detect and manage outbreaks promptly.”

“While the possibility of H5N1 mutating to pose a greater threat to humans warrants attention, proactive monitoring and control measures mitigate the risk. Thus, while vigilance is crucial, there is no immediate cause for alarm,” he said.

Meanwhile, Victoria University Australia Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos explains both H5N1 and H7N3 are “rare in humans.”

“Vaccines like AUDENZ™ exist for H5N1,” she said.