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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-09-11 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza, Wildlife Preparedness

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy) (14:07): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: In 2020 a new strain of avian influenza, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, emerged. Since October 2021 this clade has been circulating widely across the globe, causing a significant increase in the frequency and geographic range of H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in wild birds, poultry and mammals in other continents.

Overseas the strain of avian influenza has had significant impact on wildlife in countries that have experienced outbreaks. Currently, more than 500 species of wild birds are known to be affected, along with about 60 species of terrestrial and aquatic mammals.

This strain of HPAI is distinct from those currently affecting poultry in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT. Similarly, while a human case of H5N1 avian influenza was reported in Victoria in May this year, this was of a different clade from the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b that is affecting wildlife globally and is not currently known to be present in Australia.

Overseas, the outbreak of this clade has effected a wide range of species, not just wild birds and poultry. Notably, from a wildlife perspective, it has also affected marine mammals, particularly sea lions and seals.

I am advised that while the impacts of H5N1 on wildlife have been severe, the World Health Organization assesses the overall public health risk posed by this disease to be low. However, people can be affected by avian influenza, and that is why, as I will explain later, people should be aware of this disease and follow government advice to protect themselves from it.

HPAI has now spread to all continents other than ours. Sadly, this includes mainland Antarctica, where its presence was confirmed around the start of 2024. Due to movements of wild birds, it is understood there is no way to prevent HPAI from entering Australia. While the HPAI impacts on our wildlife will likely be severe, we are fortunate that we have the opportunity to learn from experiences overseas about what has and has not worked to limit its spread and manage its impacts so that we can prepare for when it does arrive in Australia.

In South Australia, government departments, particularly the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, the Department for Environment and Water, and SA Health, are collaborating to prepare for an incursion of H5N1 HPAI. This preparedness includes working together with the Australian government, government agencies in other states and territories, and a range of non-government organisations, particularly Wildlife Health Australia and Animal Health Australia, to establish coordinated preparedness and response plans, given it is impossible to know with certainty where in Australia HPAI might first arrive and be detected.

For our native wildlife, it is expected that HPAI is likely to have significant impacts. In South Australia, of particular note are the likely impacts on some species that are already of conservation concern, such as Australian sea lions. It is not only threatened species that we should expect to be affected but there are also serious consequences for species that are common and abundant, such as black swans and Australian pelicans.

Given this, work has started to assess in detail the risks and potential effects of HPAI on our native species, as well as actions that can be taken to lessen its spread and the impacts of the disease. However, people must understand that there are no simple preventions or solutions to HPAI in wildlife. For example, there is currently no practical vaccine to protect our wildlife. That said, I am encouraged that government agencies are assessing options to minimise and manage the impacts of HPAI on our wildlife.

While the focus of this statement is on wildlife, I understand that PIRSA has plans in place to manage the incursion of HPAI on our agricultural sector, as it does for other pests and diseases as part of national agreements between the Australian governments and livestock industries. Similarly, SA Health is prepared should a human be infected with HPAI.

Returning to wildlife, I encourage members of the community to be aware of the risk of HPAI and follow government guidance given on it, given the likely inevitability of its arrival. Specifically, I encourage the community to remember the simple advice: to avoid contact with sick or dead birds; record the time, date, location and other relevant details, such as the species and number involved, if they encounter sick or dead wildlife; and report those observations to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline (1800 675 888). Reporting this information is vital so that authorities can take action to protect our environment, people and industries.

In concluding, I recognise HPAI presents a significant and challenging threat to our wildlife and agricultural industries. However, it is important that the community is informed about this matter and is made aware that the South Australian government, the Australian government, and those in other states and territories are preparing to respond to the arrival of HPAI and do what they can to minimise the impacts of this disease. To stay informed on this issue, I encourage people to check on the outbreak.gov.au website for accurate and up-to-date advice on this, and other biosecurity risks to our country.

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