A dead Southern Fulmar found at Fowler’s Bay. Image supplied – Rod Keogh, EP Cruises.

WILDLIFE and livestock surveillance activities have been stepped up in South Australia and New South Wales following the detection of H5 bird flu in two migratory seabirds in Western Australia last week and the collection of dead birds on the SA coast for testing.

SA authorities have reportedly increased monitoring along the state’s coastline, especially from Ceduna to the WA border and today South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas announced H5 bird flu had been confirmed in a southern giant petrel found 10 days ago at Knights Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula, more than 2000 kilometres from where the WA birds were found.

The New South Wales Government also said it has increased surveillance and boosted biosecurity capacity for H5 bird flu and Western Australia has confirmed bird flu was suspected in a migratory bird found north-west of the state’s southern coastline, near the tourist town of Dunsborough.

The ABC yesterday reported that two dead subantarctic seabirds and a pelican have been found in South Australia, on the same coastline birds carrying the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus washed up in Western Australia. The ABC said another two birds were being tested after being found dead in Perth and Geraldton.

Eyre Peninsula EP Cruises operator and photographer Rod Keogh said he found a dead Antarctic Prion and a Southern Fulmar on the beach at Fowlers Bay on Monday afternoon and they have been collected by the authorities for testing. He said the reporting of dead birds by the public and collection set the standard for how the bird flu issue needed to be approached.

A dead Antarctic Prion found at Fowler’s Bay. Image supplied – Rod Keogh, EP Cruises.

SA starts drone surveys of sea lion breeding sites

SA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions said yesterday ground-based surveillance and drone surveys are being undertaken at sea lion breeding sites along the state’s west and far west coasts, as part of a coordinated response to the ongoing risk of H5 bird flu spreading to SA.

While there are currently no confirmed detections of H5 bird flu in South Australia, the Malinauskas Government said it has undertaken significant preparedness activities over recent years to strengthen the state’s readiness for any potential incursion.

This includes the amplification of bird flu surveillance, with an increase in the number of locations regularly surveyed and increased testing frequency around SA’s highest-risk areas.

Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia and the Department of Environment and Water are closely monitoring sea lions, birds and other wildlife in these areas for signs of illness or mass mortality.

PIRSA said the South Australian Research and Development Institute will build on this coastal surveillance work through helicopter-supported aerial and ground surveys of sea lion breeding sites between Ceduna and the WA border – including offshore islands and the Bunda Cliffs – as well as key offshore island breeding sites off the central west coast of Eyre Peninsula.

The SA Government said it has also been working with poultry and other livestock industries to ensure they understand their reporting pathways and are preparing to manage any potential on-farm detection of H5 bird flu.

The Malinauskas and Albanese Governments have invested a combined $8.1 million into PIRSA to strengthen emergency animal disease preparedness, surveillance, diagnostics, workforce capability and response readiness.

Other preparedness efforts have included training and simulation exercises, additional investment in specialised response capabilities including mobile diagnostic laboratories, decontamination units and other fit-for-purpose equipment to enable rapid deployment and on-ground responses, and other targeted environmental and wildlife activities.

A further $3.5 million has been invested into DEW to support activities to prepare for, build on-ground resilience in, and support response efforts for the environment and our wildlife, including:

• Management and response planning in key areas such as Seal Bay Conservation Park, Coorong National Park, Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park, and Adelaide International Dolphin Sanctuary.
• Habitat restoration and feral bird control on offshore islands of Fleurieu Peninsula.
• Predator control and habitat restoration to safeguard migratory and threatened birds on the Limestone Coast.
• Fox and feral cat control to protect bird species’ breeding, nesting and roosting sites along the metropolitan coast.
• Feral pig control at the Coongie Lakes Ramsar site in the Far North.
• Facilities dedicated to the protection of threatened species across the state.
• Inoculating sea lions and installing pup shelters for exposure protection.
• Feral cat control around Seal Bay, noting that feral cats are potential vectors for H5 bird flu.

Federal funding has also been allocated to the Zoo and Aquarium Association to help safeguard threatened native species at Cleland Wildlife Park, Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park.

NSW allocates additional biosecurity resources

The NSW Government also said it dedicated additional resources to identifying potential bird flu cases coupled with an awareness campaign focused on input from the community and the needs of industry.

Surveillance operations have ramped up as state prepares for a potential detection in NSW, including establishing a H5 bird flu call centre, training over 380 additional staff, including Local Land Services and National Parks and Wildlife Service field officers to undertake surveillance for H5 bird flu.

All surveillance testing for H5 bird flu takes place at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) is funded by the NSW Government.

The NSW State Coordination Centre has been stood up at the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD)’s Orange Agricultural Institute to provide coordination of surveillance operations and NSW’s response should a detection be confirmed.

NSW DPIRD has delivered a series of webinars and workshops with government field staff and veterinarians to build practical capability to respond to an H5 bird flu detection in NSW.

The focus has been on hands-on skills including roles, reporting, sampling and PPE, resulting in strong improvements in participant confidence.

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has developed detailed wildlife preparedness plans for 34 priority sites, and statewide response plans for vulnerable species including little penguins and fur seals.

NSW has well developed wildlife surveillance systems to facilitate early detection and there are established national arrangements for responding to incursions of H5 bird flu in wildlife.

An awareness campaign is underway direct with industry and across social media providing the essential information. Briefings have been held with environmental groups, and an industry briefing is planned for later this week.

Additional resources have been deployed to manage the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline. To date, H5 bird flu has not been detected in NSW. NSW remains free of H5 bird flu. NSW Health advises that the risk to human health remains low.

If unusual deaths or illness in wild birds are observed please AVOID contact, RECORD by taking photos or video and REPORT immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on
1800 675 888.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said the government was doing everything possible to keep H5 out of NSW and protect the primary industries sector by strengthening surveillance and boosting biosecurity capacity and capability across the production and environmental fronts.

“We have delivered more than 50 briefings and workshops to key agricultural and wildlife stakeholders, ensuring if it does arrive industry and the community have the vital information to manage an outbreak.

“We are using the best available data to target actions for our most at-risk wildlife species and important natural places,” she said.

“We continue to offer our support to Western Australia following its confirmed cases, in technical or operational areas; we want to provide support where we can to help WA and contain the virus.”

NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Jo Coombe said innovative spatial mapping tools, decision-support systems and response databases are being established to enable rapid, evidence-based action during a wildlife outbreak.

“While the current incursion has only been confirmed in two birds, eradication or containment of H5 bird flu in wildlife is unlikely to be possible if it becomes established in wildlife populations.

“We continue to ask the community to AVOID, RECORD and REPORT any unusual signs of illness or deaths of multiple birds, especially on the coastline, so we can manage any incursion quickly,” she said.

“We are working closely with the Australian Government and following national arrangements in place.

“Our focus, if it were to become established in NSW, would be to minimise risk of onward transmission to commercial poultry, protect human health, where possible reduce the impact on the environment and ensure stakeholders are kept informed.”

SA’s PIRSA urged the community to be vigilant and report any dead or sick birds or wildlife showing signs of bird flu. Possible signs of bird flu in birds include:

• Multiple sick or dead birds in one location
• Weakness, inability to stand or fly
• Neurological signs or abnormal behaviour
• Swelling or discolouration
• Respiratory distress

If you see sick or dead birds or other wildlife, do not touch them. Avoid contact. Record what you see. Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia.

For more information visit bird flu. For more information on bird flu preparedness in SA, visit avian-influenza.