On August 6, Australia’s Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, warned that an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the country could drive native species to extinction.
Australia is the only continent that has not reported H5N1 – the strain of avian influenza that has caused mass deaths among bird species and wildlife populations worldwide.
Australia is the only continent that has not reported H5N1. (Illustrative image: abc.net.au)
Speaking at the Australian Zoo and Aquarium Association conference, Minister Plibersek expressed concerns that this strain of influenza will appear in Australia, potentially causing significant harm to the country’s biodiversity. The government is particularly worried about the potential impact of H5N1, especially the risk of extinction for bird species in captive breeding programs in Australia, which already have extremely low population numbers in the wild. She noted that due to a lack of resistance to new diseases, many species in the wild could face extinction from mass mortality.
Plibersek mentioned that the government is taking this threat seriously. According to her, Australia needs a comprehensive approach involving all levels of government and private organizations to mitigate risks during this particularly dangerous time, as the spring migration season approaches.
In July, the Australian government announced a AUD 6.9 million (USD 4.5 million) funding grant for avian influenza monitoring programs, while warning that migratory birds coming to Australia in the spring could carry H5N1.
Previously, in 2022, the federal government set a goal to prevent new extinction risks for any native plant or animal species.
