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ScienceQuiet 5d · day 11

Australia confirms first H5 bird flu death in an endangered sea lion

An Australian sea lion at Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, died of H5 bird flu, the first confirmed case in the species, as authorities warn of a looming population crisis.

newest coverage 4d agosummary written 11d ago30 pieces1 likes & upvotes MastodonNewswiresRedditGoogle News

What to know

  • First confirmed H5 bird flu death in an Australian sea lion, found at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island, home to most of the species' remaining population.
  • Population estimates for the endangered Australian sea lion range from under 12,000 down to under 10,000, already declining about 2% a year before bird flu's arrival.
  • No off-the-shelf mammal vaccine exists; SA is seeking to join a trial based on an experimental vaccine used in US cattle and tested on Hawaiian monk seals.
  • Case follows earlier 2026 detections in long-nosed fur seals and little penguins, bringing to four the number of mammal/bird species affected by bird flu in South Australia.

“We found that it was actually not the shark attack that killed the sea lion. It was the bird flu … we might find that this particular case was more susceptible because it was recovering.”

Emily Bourke, SA environment minister · The Guardian ↗ · Sep 12

Emily BourkeEmily Bourke South Australian environment ministerMichael Pengilly Kangaroo Island mayorJohn Woinarski Mammal scientist, Charles Darwin University

Australia confirms first H5 bird flu death in an endangered sea lion
Guardian

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 12 pieces in 3h at Sep 12, 10 PM; 30 pieces over 11 days (23 articles · 7 posts) Sep 12, 10 PM — 12 pieces · 10 articles · 2 posts — Google News 8, Newswires 2, Mastodon 1, +1 moreSep 13, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 13, 4 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Reddit 1, Newswires 1Sep 13, 7 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 1, Reddit 1Sep 13, 10 AM — quietSep 13, 1 PM — quietSep 13, 4 PM — quietSep 13, 7 PM — quietSep 13, 10 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Newswires 1, Reddit 1Sep 14, 1 AM — 5 pieces · 5 articles — Google News 5Sep 14, 4 AM — quietSep 14, 7 AM — quietSep 14, 10 AM — quietSep 14, 1 PM — quietSep 14, 4 PM — quietSep 14, 7 PM — quietSep 14, 10 PM — quietSep 15, 1 AM — quietSep 15, 4 AM — quietSep 15, 7 AM — quietSep 15, 10 AM — quietSep 15, 1 PM — quietSep 15, 4 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Sep 15, 7 PM — quietSep 15, 10 PM — quietSep 16, 1 AM — quietSep 16, 4 AM — quietSep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 10 AM — quietSep 16, 1 PM — quietSep 16, 4 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Sep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 10 PM — quietSep 17, 1 AM — quietSep 17, 4 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 10 AM — quietSep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 4 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 10 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Sep 18, 1 AM — quietSep 18, 4 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 10 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 4 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 4 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Sep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 4 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 13Sep 14Sep 15Sep 16Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22now · 6:44 AM ET
  1. background

    Kangaroo Island mayor calls the case disappointing but expected — Mayor Michael Pengilly said the detection at Seal Bay, the island's most visited site, was 'not unexpected' but still disappointing, and noted tours are being run from the boardwalk rather than the beach to limit spread.

  2. background

    Bird flu also confirmed in a little penguin at Victor Harbor — Bourke said the same day's announcements included a confirmed case in a little penguin at Victor Harbor, bringing the number of affected mammal and bird species in SA to four.

  3. 2

    Guardian details vaccine gap and SA's push for a trial

    The Guardian reported there is no off-the-shelf mammal vaccine, though an experimental vaccine used in US cattle and trialled on Hawaiian monk seals has shown promise; SA says it is seeking to join a trial with the federal government.

    “We have been working very closely with the federal government to highlight that we are willing and able to participate in a trial here in South Australia.”
    — Emily Bourke
    • europesays@pubeurope.com

      https://www. europesays.com/3248355/ Australia records first sea lion death from H5 bird flu # australia

      europesays@pubeurope.comMastodon11d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  4. 1

    SA confirms first H5 bird flu case/death in a sea lion

    Environment minister Emily Bourke announced the sea lion, found at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island, had been recovering from a shark attack when bird flu killed it.

    “We found that it was actually not the shark that killed the sea lion, it was the bird flu case.”
    — Emily Bourke

    1. 11 outlets first by UA.NEWS, 11d ago · also Guardian, ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC Australia, Sydney Morning Herald, The Courier Mail, The Daily Aus +4 · read ↗

    2. 2 outlets Breaking: First case of bird flu in pelican detected in SA

      first by ABC Australia, 10d ago · also Australian Broadcasting Corporation

      1 more headline
  5. background

    Scientist warns bird flu could devastate sea lion colonies — Mammal scientist John Woinarski told Guardian Australia he feared the virus would spread quickly into sea lion colonies given their proximity to affected seabird populations.

  6. background

    First bird flu case confirmed in an Australian mammal — A long-nosed fur seal found dead at Beachport on SA's Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1, marking the first mainland mammal case in Australia.