The Australian government has warned residents to prepare themselves for the spread of a devastating disease whose arrival appears to be inevitable.
What’s happening?
As explained by the Guardian, “a highly pathogenic and contagious strain” of bird flu is likely to reach Australia through its Antarctic territory and Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean. The virulent H5N1 Avian flu strain has already killed millions of seabirds, wild birds, and poultry overseas.
Government agencies led by the Australian Antarctic Division were informed during a planning exercise earlier in August that the arrival of the disease was a case of “not if, but when.”
The H5N1 strain was confirmed in western Antarctica in February and has also claimed the lives of an estimated 30,000 sea lions and 17,000 southern elephant seal pups in the Antarctic region, per the Guardian.
Dr. Louise Emmerson, a seabird ecologist with the Antarctic division, warned that the strain could arrive in Australia’s Antarctic territory or on Macquarie Island when animals migrate back to the area during the spring.
Why is this important?
According to the Guardian, Australia is the only continent in the world that has yet to experience the H5N1 strain of the bird flu. Since 2003, other variants have caused over 400 deaths in humans and over 900 cases.
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The spread of H5N1 to mammals is particularly concerning. Emmerson noted that the rapid spread of the strain has caused infections in unexpected animals like cats, raccoons, and cows.
“It’s had a very big impact on many different species … some populations have been really badly impacted with in excess of 90% mortality,” Emmerson told the Guardian.
Scientists are worried that the continued infections in unexpected animals could lead to the virus mutating to become more adapted to mammals, which could increase the risk of it jumping to humans.
The spread of bird flu is also worrisome because it can be exacerbated by changing climate conditions. For example, rising temperatures can alter bird migratory patterns, potentially spreading the virus to new and unexpected areas like Australia. Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s environment minister, warned that its arrival Down Under could push some bird species toward extinction.
What’s being done about this?
Plibersek added that there needs to be an “all-in” approach from the government and private organizations to minimize the threat of the H5N1 strain reaching Australia. The planning exercise from earlier this month served as a way to test the emergency response in the event of an outbreak and the coordination of preparations for mass seabird deaths and potential wildlife-to-human transmission.
Robb Clifton, the Antarctic division’s acting branch head of operations and logistics, told the Guardian that there’s a plan to send scientists to Australia’s Antarctica territory in the spring to evaluate if signs of the strain are present during breeding months.
“What we do know is spring and going into summer we get a lot more wildlife moving around the sub-Antarctic,” Clifton said. “We know the risk of [transmission] is going up.”
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