(SRN NEWS/REUTERS)
The spate of bird flu cases in the western Pacific continues. It began in Australia when a case was confirmed there and now it has turned up in the Phillippines.
The Philippines case showed up this week in backyard poultry, and Australia has reported new detections — including its first-ever case in a native mainland seabird — signaling the continued spread across the Asia‑Pacific region.
The Philippines case is in Oriental Mindoro, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). The virus was detected in a flock of 39 backyard poultry in the town of Capalan, and all birds were culled as a precaution.
Officials note that backyard flocks pose heightened surveillance challenges because they interact with domestic birds and wildlife. No spillover to commercial farms or human infections have been reported.
Australia’s latest confirmed case is in a Greater Crested Tern in Robe, South Australia. This marks a new phase of the virus’s arrival after Australia became the final continent to detect H5N1 on its mainland last month.
Authorities also confirmed additional infections in South Australia and Western Australia, bringing the country’s total detections to twelve.
And New South Wales has become Australia’s third state to confirm bird flu after a Giant Petrel tested positive near Hawks Nest. Officials emphasize there is no evidence of spread to commercial poultry, captive birds, or local wildlife populations.