Devastating bird flu strain ‘on Australia’s doorstep’
Conservation groups are calling for more funding to prepare for the arrival of a deadly bird flu strain believed to have killed billions of animals worldwide.
animal diseases
Environment ministers summoned over bird flu threat
Australia is looking at vaccinations for bird flu as environment ministers are called to a special meeting to discuss the threat to wildlife.
‘Pitiful’ funding for ‘looming catastrophe’ of bird flu
Pressure is mounting on the federal government to pour more money into bird flu preparations, amid warnings Australia's worst ecological disaster is looming.
Australia to simulate arrival of deadly bird flu
Agriculture ministers have agreed to hold a national planning drill to make sure Australia is ready for the possible arrival of the deadly H5 bird flu strain.
Australia facing unprecedented bird flu threat: CSIRO
Three different strains of bird flu are now circulating in Australia and scientists can not rule out more, with spill over from ducks and geese suspected.
animal diseases
conservation
endangered species
environmental issue
environmental politics
invasive species
wildlife
Govt lagging on bird flu threat to wildlife: experts
Australia's environment ministers have been accused of being missing in action and doing little to get ready for bird flu impacts on native wildlife.
Australia isn’t ready for ravages of bird flu: warning
Australia's environment ministers are accused of being missing in action and doing little to get ready for the impacts of bird flu on native wildlife.
Outbreak spreads with bird flu confirmed at 11th farm
A Canberra facility is the 11th property nationally that has been affected by a bird flu outbreak, as Woolworths imposes egg limits on some customers.
Experts struggle to crack mystery new bird-flu outbreak
Australia does not do enough to protect its biosecurity, an expert has warned as authorities work overtime to contain the spread of bird flu in two states.
Fears people will crack as Coles imposes egg limits
A growing bird flu outbreak is yet to hit farmed chicken meat but shoppers have been urged to avoid panic-buying after a supermarket introduced egg sale limits.
Thousands of hens to be culled as flu hits fifth farm
A Victorian egg producer will destroy tens of thousands of hens after avian influenza was detected at a second farm, bringing the number impacted to five.
WHO confirms first fatal human case of bird flu A(H5N2)
The World Health Organisation says a death related to a confirmed human case of infection with A(H5N2) subtype of bird flu is the first of its kind globally.
Bird flu cull leads to 450,000 fewer eggs per day
It could take years for farms impacted by an avian influenza outbreak to recover after the deaths of half a million chickens.
US curbs Victorian poultry imports on bird flu concerns
Poultry imports have been restricted from Victoria to the US after highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected in the Australian state.
US introduces ‘understandable’ poultry restrictions
The Victorian poultry meat industry is unlikely to be badly affected by US import curbs prompted by a bird flu outbreak, according to a peak body.
Bird flu outbreak sparks mass cull of farmed chickens
Thousands of birds at an egg farm will be culled after a bird flu outbreak as authorities reveal a child is Australia's first case of a deadly global strain.
Bird flu found in one in five US milk samples: FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration says one in five commercial milk samples tested across the country contained particles of the avian influenza.
Wider bird flu spread worrying, animal health body says
The head of the World Organisation for Animal Health says it is worrying to see the spread of bird flu to more different species.
Search for children who may have handled infected bat
A search for four children who were seen playing with an infected bat in Ipswich continues as authorities warn the infection can be deadly to humans.
Kitty catastrophe as shelters impose ‘paws’ on felines
Just as peak "kitten season" gets underway, the RSPCA has imposed a four-week ban on the intake of surrendered and stray cats at its NSW shelters.
Beekeepers shift to suppress spread of deadly parasite
A parasitic mite that preys on bees has spread so far beyond a containment zone that authorities have been forced to switch to a suppression strategy.
Koala chlamydia vaccine trial secures $750k in funding
The federal government has invested $750,000 in a new Queensland trial to vaccinate koalas against a sexually transmitted infection.
People examined after NSW horse dies of Hendra virus
NSW has recorded its first case of the Hendra horse virus in years and is trying to assess who came into contact with the animal before its death.
Lyssavirus warning after sick bat found on Gold Coast
Members of the public have been warned to never handle bats after a flying fox was found with the fatal Australian bat lyssavirus on the Gold Coast.
Crocodiles are uniquely protected against fungal infections. This might one day help human medicine too
As the threat of antibiotic-resistant microbes grows, so does our need for new and effective treatments. Could the defensins of these beasts hold the answers to help create a new wave of life-saving therapeutics?
WHO working with Cambodia on ‘worrying’ bird flu
The World Health Organisation has described the global H5N1 bird flu situation as "worrying" after two human cases of the disease were reported in Cambodia.
Scientists develop new vaccine for encephalitis in pigs
Scientists have developed a new Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine for pigs to help stop the spread of this mosquito-borne disease.
Warning of tick season with real bite
A wet winter and spring in Australia's east is driving a surge in tick cases among pets, including in normally tick-free areas like Melbourne's suburbs.
Bat behaviour sparks Hendra virus risk
An Australian study has revealed encroachment into the habitat of bats is driving them into agricultural areas, increasing the risk of Hendra virus spillover.
Ditch pig eradication programs: experts
Feral pigs are a major problem for Australian farms and ecosystems but scientists say trying to exterminate them won't work.
Qld plans livestock biosecurity task force
The state will recruit biosecurity officers to prepare the livestock industry for disease risks as Australia strives to remain foot and mouth disease-free.