Authorities in Australia have identified what appears to be a second mass mortality event linked to H5 bird flu, expanding the geographic scope of the outbreak beyond initial detections. Aerial surveillance in Victoria’s south-west region discovered a cluster of dead and sick greater crested terns in the Glenelg River estuary and at Lawrence Rocks over the weekend, suggesting the disease’s continued proliferation across state borders.
The first confirmed mass mortality event occurred at Baudin Rocks off South Australia’s coast, where approximately 50 dead birds and 30 sick birds were observed. Laboratory analysis by the CSIRO’s Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed positive results from samples taken from five greater crested terns and a silver gull on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt characterized the situation as the beginning of what officials expect will be an extended period of wildlife impacts, noting that natural bird migration patterns make containment impossible.
Victorian health officials reported a marked shift in the disease’s progression, transitioning from isolated cases to broader population effects across coastal areas. The affected regions include ecologically sensitive zones, including breeding colonies of Australasian gannets and the Glenelg estuary, which is designated as an internationally significant wetland site. In South Australia, additional concern has emerged following detection of H5 in a migratory petrel at the Coorong, a major wetland area supporting diverse waterbird populations.
A total of 18 new cases were confirmed in South Australia on Monday through CSIRO testing, distributed across multiple locations including Troubridge Island, Pages Islands, and Monarto. Officials emphasized that the disease’s emergence in waterbird habitats represents an escalation, given the ecological importance of these sites as breeding and migration destinations. State authorities indicated that while halting the spread through wildlife populations remains infeasible, efforts are focused on building resilience within native bird and mammal populations.
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