South Australia’s premier Peter Malinauskas declared a “significant escalation” in H5 bird flu following the detection of three major die-off events involving over 1,000 greater crested terns. Aerial surveillance conducted Wednesday identified the mass mortality events on Troubridge Island off the Yorke Peninsula and the Pages Islands near Kangaroo Island, all locations where H5 had been detected in preceding weeks.
These incidents represent the largest confirmed mass casualty events from suspected H5 bird flu since the virus reached the Australian mainland in June. Greater crested terns have emerged as the most heavily impacted local bird species to date. The affected areas hold significant ecological importance, with the Pages Islands serving as a breeding ground for endangered Australian sea lions and the site of fur seal populations, while Troubridge Island hosts important breeding colonies of little penguins, black cormorants, and crested terns.
Additional H5 detections were confirmed in various mainland locations, including the Adelaide region and the Barossa region, demonstrating the virus’s inland movement from coastal areas. A raven tested positive at Port MacDonnell on the Limestone Coast, the state’s first confirmed avian case outside seabirds. Authorities emphasized that no mass mortality events have been detected in mammals, and no cases have been found in poultry or livestock.
The South Australian government indicated it would pursue targeted vaccination of selected captive and managed populations of threatened native species, partnering with Zoos SA and Cleland wildlife park to prepare vaccinations for little penguins, orange-bellied parrots, red-tailed black cockatoos, cape barren geese, and pelicans. Investigations into potential vaccination opportunities for high-priority at-risk mammals such as Australian sea lions are also underway. Meanwhile, Tasmania reported 28 dead little penguins and three dead crested terns on King Island, with laboratory testing in progress. New South Wales confirmed H5 in seven birds along its south coast, including six crested terns and one giant petrel.
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