Australia’s first case of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu has been detected in Western Australia, federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed on Saturday.

The infected bird – a brown skua – was found on a remote beach at the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, about 700 kilometres south-east of Perth.

A giant petrel found in the same area has also been tested, but results have not yet been confirmed.

Low risk of contraction for general public

Experts say the risk of contracting H5N1 influenza is low for the general public, as it usually requires close contact with sick or dying birds.

Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious diseases specialist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Australian National University, says people “should be aware of but not alarmed.”

“The diseased bird is not near any poultry farms to infect domestic poultry,” Associate Professor Senanayake says.

Cassandra Berry, Professor of Immunology at Murdoch University says while the likelihood of contraction is low, the consequences can be significant in the rare cases when it does occur.

“It is cautionary to be alert and stay away from distressed birds. Although human-to-human transmission has occurred in other countries, it is rare,” Professor Berry says.

“Bird-to-human transmission has been associated with a high fatality (~60%). There have been nearly 1,000 cases of human H5N1 infection reported over the last three decades, since H5N1 jumped the species barrier in 1997.”

Feathers, droppings, blood, saliva or environmental soil can all carry the virus, she says.

Additionally, the virus can survive for a long time in the cold, remaining viable at 4°C for 100 days.

Prevention in at-risk groups

Human preparedness should focus on exposed groups, says Associate Professor Vinod Balasubramaniam, a molecular virologist and leader of the Infection and Immunity Research Strength at Monash University in Malaysia.

That includes wildlife carers, rangers, veterinarians, poultry workers, laboratory staff and responders, Associate Professor Balasubramaniam says.

“They need PPE, testing pathways, antiviral access, seasonal influenza vaccination, and clear occupational monitoring.”

“Seasonal flu vaccination will not prevent H5N1, but it reduces the chance of co-infection with human influenza, the scenario in which reassortment risk becomes more concerning.”

Reassortment is the process by which different influenza viruses co-infect the same host cell and swap genetic segments, creating entirely new hybrid viruses.

Professor Paul Griffin, Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services, also advises avoiding contact with sick or injured birds, and ensuring people are up to date with their annual influenza vaccination.

“While the situation deserves careful monitoring, there is no reason for alarm based on the information currently available,” he adds.

Associate Professor Senanayake agrees.

“The fact that we know about this skua bird having H5N1 shows how effective our surveillance is at identifying such emerging infections.”