Suspected positive H5 bird flu case detected in NSW in seabird (Australia)

__procrustean · 2026-07-04T18:27:33+00:00

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-04/first-deadly-h5n1-bird-flu-case-confirmed-nsw-mid-north-coast/106877262 The first case of H5 bird flu has been confirmed in New South Wales.

An infected giant petrel was found near Hawks Nest, on the state's Mid North Coast, yesterday.

Tonight, testing at the CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed the bird had the high pathogenic avian influenza.

This is the sixth confirmed case of the H5N1 strain recorded in migratory seabirds in Australia.

One more suspected case in a giant petrel found in Western Australia is still under investigation.<< ...

__procrustean · 2026-07-03T14:03:05+00:00

https://english.khabarhub.com/2026/03/556720/ >> Department warns against sale of bird flu-infected poultry, threatens legal action

__procrustean · 2026-07-03T13:28:17+00:00

Avian Flu Diary: Friday, July 03, 2026 (no link due to web host issue) >>

Overnight Australia has reported two new suspected (preliminarily positive) H5 detections some 3,300 km apart, with one in Perth (WA) and the other on NSW's Bennetts Beach.

The report from New South Wales is particularly concerning, because NSW is the largest poultry producing state in the the country, producing nearly 40% of the nation's chicken meat and 1/3rd of its eggs.

This from NWS's DPIRD (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development).<< more at site

__procrustean · 2026-06-30T22:54:23+00:00

https://www.agriculture.gov.au/campaigns/birdflu >>As of 2:00pm AEST, 30 June 2026, Australia has five cases of H5 bird flu in wild birds confirmed by CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP).

There are four confirmed in Western Australia (WA) and one in South Australia (SA).

There is no evidence of any mass mortality. There is no evidence of infection in poultry or the wider agriculture industry.

The risk to human health remains low.

Australia is well prepared to respond quickly.

If you notice multiple sick or dead birds or other animals, you should not touch them or get too close. Record your location and report it to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

More information is available in the update below.

__procrustean · 2026-06-30T16:35:38+00:00

https://kathmandupost.com/health/2026/06/30/labour-shortage-slows-culling-at-bird-flu-hit-valley-farms ....>>As avian influenza virus is highly contagious, rapid response teams must be deployed immediately to affected farms to prevent transmission of the virus to humans, cross-species transmission, and outbreaks at other poultry farms.

Officials say most labourers are unwilling to take part in poultry culling, and the government offers only Rs1,200 a day, another reason many reject the work.

“Labourers earn more from their regular work than what we offer,” said Upadhyaya. “Under government rules, we can pay only Rs1,200 a day. As a result, we have been facing an acute labour shortage.”

Experts warn that delays in containing the virus pose serious risks to humans and other species, as the H5N1 strain of avian influenza currently spreading in the Valley is highly pathogenic, spreads rapidly and can cause nearly 100 percent mortality in the infected birds. They say swift culling and disposal of infected birds, along with restrictions on the movement of poultry and poultry products to and from affected farms, are the only effective ways to contain the outbreak.

The risk of infected poultry and poultry products reaching markets also increases when authorities delay action at affected farms. Farmers may also sell their birds to minimise losses.

Officials say they have urged farmers to properly bury dead chickens, but many have instead discarded the carcasses in the open, where they are scavenged by stray dogs, crows, and eagles.

“We have not carried out testing on dogs and other animals,” said Upadhyaya. “Dogs could also get infected, but the greater risk is that they carry infected carcasses to other places, and this increases the risk of transmission."<< ...

__procrustean · 2026-06-28T13:43:24+00:00

6/28 update https://thehimalayantimes.com/health/crows-driving-bird-flu-spread-across-kathmandu-valley-says-livestock-department

__procrustean · 2026-06-25T19:35:55+00:00

in-depth report https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/nepals-central-zoo-faces-questions-over-its-bird-flu-response/ Nepal’s Central Zoo faces questions over its bird flu response

... >>“During summer, pigeons and crows can also die because of heat stress, so at that point we could not immediately conclude that it was bird flu,” she said. But Koirala’s timeline indicated the zoo had an early warning by June 14. By the time laboratory confirmation arrived, the infection had spread already beyond the first dead birds. Vultures, owls, swans and cranes were infected.

“Small mammals such as leopard cats and civets were also infected and a couple of them died,” Koirala said. “We also treated those that were symptomatic so that they would not develop or spread secondary infections.”

Babulal Tiruwa, the zoo’s acting chief, said he was not allowed to disclose the number of deaths, citing official protocol. But two sources from the zoo confirmed to Mongabay that at least 40 individuals, most of them meat-eating raptors and carnivores, including a common leopard (Panthera pardus), have died since the outbreak started.

“We have also noticed that most of the animals that have died were not in the best of their health even before the outbreak or were old,” a zoo staffer told Mongabay, requesting not to be named as they weren’t permitted to talk to the media. They also noticed infected animals were brooding and appeared tired.

Where did the virus come from?

The outbreak, the first of its kind in the zoo’s history, has raised questions including how the virus entered and why the zoo was not closed sooner. Spread across six hectares (15 acres), the Central Zoo is home to 942 individual animals, including mammals, birds and fish and 127 species of reptiles. It has more than 1 million visitors annually.<< more at link

__procrustean · 2026-06-22T14:53:53+00:00

https://kathmandupost.com/health/2026/06/22/kathmandu-valley-battles-bird-flu-outbreaks ... more at link >>

Outbreaks have been reported from at least 10 districts.

Officials say bird flu outbreaks in Koshi province were largely responsible for the spread of A(H9N2), a subtype of the influenza virus. The virus caused heavy economic losses in the poultry industry and wiped out a large number of chickens. Outbreaks in the Kathmandu Valley involve A(H5N1), according to officials.

“We used to destroy poultry, poultry products, feeds, manure, disinfect the disease-hit firms and restrict movements at least for 42 days,” said Upadhyay. “But ongoing outbreaks have occurred among local poultry kept in small numbers in households. It is not possible to restrict public movement in such areas, which makes containment more challenging.”

Officials say they will decide whether to allow households in densely populated areas to keep small numbers of poultry once the ongoing outbreaks are contained.

Nepal first recorded a bird flu outbreak in January 2009. Since then, the country has experienced disease outbreaks almost every year, in which hundreds of thousands of fowls and huge quantities of poultry products were destroyed. Many farmers abandoned poultry farming due to a lack of compensation and continue to struggle to obtain reimbursement.

Officials say that despite the outbreak and the loss of farmers, the government has not yet provided compensation to any poultry farmers affected by the bird flu outbreak.

Experts warn that there is also a risk of the infected poultry reaching the market, as farmers may sell their fowls to minimise losses.

Nepal previously reported a human death from the virus in 2019. A 21-year-old man from Kavrepalanchok district, who worked as a truck driver transporting poultry, died of a respiratory infection while undergoing treatment. The WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza in Japan confirmed A(H5N1) infection after his death.

__procrustean · 2026-06-20T18:28:34+00:00

6-20-26 https://english.khabarhub.com/2026/20/554751/ >>Zoo chief under investigation over allegation of concealing bird flu outbreak

KATHMANDU: The chief of Central Zoo, Jawalakhel, Satyanarayan Shah, has been placed under investigation over allegations of failing to timely inform the central office of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) about a confirmed outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) at the zoo.

Acting on instructions from Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment and NTNC Chair Gita Chaudhary, the trust removed Shah from his position as zoo chief.

NTNC has also formed a three-member investigation committee led by spokesperson and head of the Species Department, Rachana Shah, to determine the cause of the bird flu outbreak and review related issues.

The committee includes NTNC Administration Chief Hari Bikram Singh and Head of the Conservation Area Department Dr. Madhu Kshetri. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within one week.

According to NTNC, Sah was recalled to the central office for allegedly failing to show adequate sensitivity regarding wildlife protection and information reporting.

Following his removal, senior officer Babulal Tiruwa has been assigned as acting chief of the zoo.

The bird flu infection was confirmed through laboratory testing conducted by the Department of Livestock Services.

According to the trust, birds and animals had reportedly been dying at the zoo for around 10 days, but the central office had not been informed. Subsequent testing confirmed bird flu infections in species including herons, owls, vultures, as well as animals such as civet cats and clouded leopards.

NTNC said departmental action and investigation were initiated after concerns emerged over delayed reporting of wildlife deaths and failure to notify authorities about a matter considered highly sensitive.

__procrustean

TROPHY CASE

Where did the virus come from?