THE Australian government on Tuesday announced it will begin vaccinating high-risk birds in captivity against the H5N1 strain of avian influenza amid an ongoing surge in cases.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Julie Collins said in Canberra that the government has acquired an initial 1,500 vials of the H5N1 vaccine and will begin administering it to species in captivity based on their vulnerability and risk of contracting the highly pathogenic strain. “We’ve been very clear that we cannot stop the H5 bird flu from spreading amongst wild birds, but we can take action to protect the species most at risk, and the vaccination is now part of that response,” she said.
“Australians should expect to see more spread and larger numbers, particularly of dead birds and mass mortalities around the country from the H5 bird flu; we have been very clear that this will continue to spread across the country,” she added. — Xinhua