Tag

Bird Flu

All articles tagged with #bird flu

environment1 day ago•3 min saved

Australia launches world's largest wild-penguin vaccination drive against bird flu

Victoria is vaccinating wild little penguins against H5N1 bird flu, with over 1,000 birds receiving their first dose as part of what officials say could be the world’s largest such program; about 5,000 penguins on Phillip Island and nearby areas will receive two doses, administered after trapping and weighing the birds, with a second dose due in three weeks, as biosecurity efforts continue alongside a broader wildlife protection plan.

via The Guardian|

#bird-flu #environment #h5n1

health1 day ago•10 min saved

Backyard bird feeding risks turning feeders into bird-flu hotspots

Backyard bird feeding is popular in Australia, but it can create hotspots for the H5N1 bird flu, potentially spreading among wild birds, scavengers, and even mammals in the region; experts advise either stopping feeding altogether or taking precautions—feed less to reduce congregation, avoid hand-feeding, clean feeders with domestic bleach, and report sick or dead wildlife to authorities.

via The Conversation|

#backyard-bird-feeding #bird-flu #disease-transmission

environment7 days ago•10 min saved

Australia’s wild penguin vaccination drive targets bird flu in thousands of penguins

Victoria is rolling out what officials call the world’s largest wild-bird vaccination program, aiming to vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins at Phillip Island and St Kilda against H5N1 bird flu with a two-dose vaccine. The effort, plus vaccination of some captive birds in New Zealand and Australian zoos, uses an inactivated vaccine that requires boosters to raise antibody levels. Vaccines reduce disease impact and transmission but aren’t foolproof, and the virus will continue to evolve, necessitating ongoing vaccine development amid climate-change pressures on wildlife.

via theconversation.com|

#bird-flu #environment #h5n1

environment15 days ago•2 min saved

Australia launches H5N1 vaccine drive to shield vulnerable native birds

Australia will begin a targeted vaccination program against H5N1 for native birds, prioritizing vulnerable species and those in captivity, using AU$2 million worth of vaccines (about 1,500 vials) with rollout managed by states and territories. Each bird will receive two doses, and the effort aims to protect high-risk wildlife as the outbreak continues, while human risk remains low.

via BBC|

#australia #bird-flu #conservation

environment19 days ago•3 min saved

Coastal Australia battles bird flu as frontline carers race to shield vulnerable wildlife

Three weeks after H5 bird flu appeared on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, communities report rising numbers of sick and dead birds, prompting wildlife carers to use PPE and tighten protocols while authorities collect reports and monitor transmission; a mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks highlights the crisis, with concern expanding to threatened species like fairy terns and marine mammals, and veterinarians warning that slowing the spread is essential as Victoria documents more dead terns—indicating a long, difficult path ahead for wildlife and those who care for them.

via The Guardian|

#australia #bird-flu #conservation

environment20 days ago•36 min saved

Pelican death on Fremantle beach heightens bird flu alert in Australia

A dead pelican found on Bathers Beach in Fremantle has heightened concerns that H5 bird flu has reached Australia, with authorities saying the virus poses a very high risk to pelicans and the bird is being tested after reports to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline. While officials monitor the situation, some local deaths could also be due to botulism amid hot weather. Public reports are aiding DPIRD’s response as tests proceed and officials assess the threat.

via Yahoo News Australia|

#australia #bathers-beach #bird-flu

health23 days ago•2 min saved

Australia braces for wider H5N1 spread after seabird die-off near Adelaide

Australia warns that H5N1 bird flu is likely to spread after the first mass seabird die-off off Cape Jaffa near Adelaide, with testing confirming the virus in 49 dead and 35 sick greater crested terns. There’s no evidence of farm infections yet, but officials expect more wildlife cases as birds move. Measures include stronger biosecurity, shore-bird testing, vaccination of vulnerable species, and war-gaming response plans. While the global outbreak has caused mass wildlife deaths and financial losses, the human risk remains low for now.

via Al Jazeera|

#australia #biosecurity #bird-flu

environment24 days ago•10 min saved

Wildlife in Australia Under Threat as H5N1 Bird Flu Spreads

Australia is contending with a worsening H5N1 bird flu outbreak in wildlife, with 53 confirmed detections across five states (SA accounts for 39), including mass seabird mortality and suspected inland transmission near Seal Bay. While there are no poultry detections yet, the risk is rising, prompting stronger surveillance, farm biosecurity measures, and consideration of vaccination for vulnerable wildlife. Officials urge the public not to touch sick or dead birds, record sightings, and report them to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline at 1800 675 888.

via The Conversation|

#australia-wildlife #biosecurity #bird-flu

science1 month ago•7 min saved

NZ moves to vaccinate endangered birds as H5N1 arrives

New Zealand, once the last bird-flu-free country in Oceania, confirmed two alive H5N1 infections and began vaccinating about 300 breeding pairs across five critically endangered native species (notably kakapo and takahe) to shield wildlife, while tightening biosecurity and planning for potential poultry culling if an outbreak spreads; kiwis are not yet included in vaccination.

via CNN|

#bird-flu #kakapo #new-zealand

environment1 month ago•7 min saved

New Zealand Vaccinates Endangered Birds to Shield Them From Bird Flu

New Zealand confirmed two live birds infected with the H5N1 bird flu, prompting a rapid vaccination program for about 300 breeding pairs of five critically endangered native species (notably kakāpō and takahē) to reduce extinction risk. Kiwi is excluded from the first phase due to population size. Authorities are also enforcing biosecurity measures at colonies and testing wildlife as the virus spreads, with mass culling as a potential option if an outbreak escalates. The outcome for native species remains uncertain as experts monitor the situation.

via CNN|

#bird-flu #conservation #environment

environment1 month ago•3 min saved

New Zealand Detects First H5N1 Bird Flu Case, Puts Native Birds at Risk

New Zealand has confirmed its first H5N1 bird flu case in a wild brown skua on a Wellington beach. Authorities report no current mass wildlife deaths or wild-to-wild transmission and have a national surveillance program plus a vaccination effort for five endangered species in captivity, including kākāpō and takahē. Scientists warn some native species, especially colonial shorebirds, could be highly vulnerable, making this a major conservation and cultural concern for the country.

via The Guardian|

#bird-flu #conservation #environment

local1 month ago•14 min saved

Bird flu triggers emergency in Box Elder County’s dairy industry

Box Elder County in Utah declared a local state of emergency after a dairy farm tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, triggering quarantine measures that affect about half of the county’s dairy cows and farms and enabling state and federal support to help farmers amid severe milk production losses.

via KSL.com|

#avian-influenza #bird-flu #box-elder-county

business1 month ago•17 min saved

Nearly 53 Million Eggs Donated Under DOJ Price-Inflation Settlement

The Justice Department announced settlements with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova Holdings and Hickman’s Egg Ranch over alleged egg-price manipulation. As part of court-approved deals, the companies will donate a total of 53 million eggs to food banks and community organizations nationwide, with New York receiving nearly 5 million eggs; the companies did not admit wrongdoing.

via The Washington Post|

#bird-flu #business #inflation

business1 month ago•8 min saved

Mass Cull, Soaring Costs: A Connecticut Poultry Farm's Bird Flu Nightmare

A Connecticut poultry farmer, Joshua Beebe of Tardif Poultry Farm, endured the depopulation of 5,000 birds after a Salmonella finding during a wave of avian influenza concerns, triggering a lengthy quarantine, canceled orders, and around $50,000 in repopulation costs, with little USDA indemnity and ongoing biosecurity measures as he rebuilds while facing wild-bird transmission risks and climate-influenced migration.

via The Guardian|

#avian-influenza #biosecurity #bird-flu

science2 months ago•6 min saved

H5N1 Bird Flu Reaches Australia, Triggering Urgent Wildlife Surveillance

Australia confirms the first detections of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) in two seabirds off Western Australia, marking the virus’s arrival on the continent. The strain, now circulating globally, spreads rapidly and has devastated wildlife and poultry elsewhere, though human risk remains low. A national taskforce has been preparing since 2024, expanding surveillance and biosecurity, with discussions of wildlife vaccination in extreme cases. The public is urged to report sick or dead birds to authorities and avoid contact with wildlife to help containment.

via ScienceAlert|

#australia #bird-flu #h5n1