HealthSuspected mass bird flu deaths detected in second Australian state as minister warns ‘this is the beginning’

Aerial surveillance has found large numbers of dead birds in a second Australian state, in what is suspected to be another escalation of the spread of deadly H5 bird flu. Environment minister Murray Watt said Australia had begun a “long and difficult journey”. CSIRO analysis had confirmed the country’s first mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks off South Australia’s coast. Watt warned that further mass mortality events were likely, underscoring the scale of the challenge ahead.

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TThe Guardian★★★☆☆2026-08-03 09:13Original