Australia detects H5N1 bird flu in a sea lion for the first time
Kyiv • UNN
A sea lion on Kangaroo Island died from H5N1 after a shark attack. This is the first such case in Australia.
Australia has recorded its first case of a sea lion infected with H5N1 bird flu. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the authorities of South Australia reported that the sea lion, found in the Seal Bay area on Kangaroo Island, was injured in a shark attack and died during its recovery, UNN reports.
An examination showed that the animal's cause of death was not a shark bite but bird flu. The authorities said that the injuries may have made the animal more vulnerable to the disease.
The authorities noted that the state's sea lion population declines by approximately 2 percent annually, emphasizing that bird flu has a "devastating impact" on sea lion and seal populations in various regions of the world.
According to the authorities, bird flu has already been detected in four different mammal species in the state.
On June 19, Australia detected its first case of a disease believed to have been caused by the H5N1 bird flu virus, and on August 3, the first mass die-off among wild birds was recorded.
On August 25, the country's first case of bird flu among mammals was reported—the disease was detected in a long-nosed fur seal in South Australia.