# Australia has confirmed its first detection of H5 bird flu on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, with the virus found in a southern elephant seal and a kelp gull. The remote island is an important breeding ground for wildlife, including vulnerable elephant seals and penguins. Authorities fear the virus could cause significant deaths among seal pups during the breeding season. More than 13-thousand pups are believed to have died from bird flu on nearby Heard Island. The risk to human health in Australia remains low, and no cases have been detected in poultry.
Bird flu detected on Australia’s Macquarie Island