Australia will begin vaccinating vulnerable bird species against the highly contagious H5 avian influenza virus, the government said on Tuesday.
Environment Minister Murray Watt and Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced the plan in Sydney, saying the programme will focus on captive birds and, where possible, wild birds.
Captive birds will be prioritised because wild birds need two doses of the vaccine, making it difficult for authorities to catch and vaccinate them twice.
Australia recorded its first H5 bird flu case in June, when the virus was detected in a migratory seabird. Last week, the government reported the country’s first mass mortality event among wildlife.
As of Aug 10, authorities had recorded 231 confirmed or presumed positive H5 bird flu detections across Australia. The virus has affected waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds and birds of prey.
No cases have been detected in poultry or agricultural production.
Collins said Australia should expect further mass bird deaths as the virus continues to spread.
The vaccination programme is intended to protect vulnerable bird populations. The issue is particularly important for Australia because almost half of its wild bird species are found nowhere else in the world.
Australian scientists also reported in June that H5 bird flu had killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after reaching a breeding colony on the remote Heard and McDonald Islands.
