‘Thief’ Seabirds could spread new Avian flu to Australia
In 2021, a new strain of bird flu known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) infected many birds across the world. Currently, the virus has not yet reached Australia, but the threat still looms large.
Kleptoparasitic seabirds, such as Frigatebirds and Skuas, are potentially capable of spreading this strain by stealing food from other infected birds. Once infected, these seabirds can transmit the virus in their own colonies, as well as driving the spread via migration across vast regions.
Image: Image: Wikimedia Commons – (Great Skua (L) – Mike Pennington & Frigatebird (R) – Charles J. Sharp)
Produced By: Toni Pankaluic
Featured In Story: Simon Gorta- Conservation Ecologist and PHD candidate, UNSW
First aired on The Wire, Monday 30 September 2024