Australia has recorded its first cases of H5N1 avian influenza, meaning the virus is now present on every continent. Although the virus has only been found in migratory seabirds so far, authorities are closely monitoring the situation to prevent it from spreading further.

澳洲已記錄到首批 H5N1 禽流感病例，這意味著該病毒現在已遍佈各大洲。雖然目前僅在遷徙海鳥中發現，但當局正密切監測情況，以防止其進一步傳播。

Experts warn that there is a high chance the virus could spread from wild birds to farm poultry and cats. Because the virus can survive in water, animals often catch it at shared watering holes. Consequently, veterinarians have advised owners to keep their cats and birds indoors to reduce the risk of infection, as infected cats may suffer from breathing problems and neurological issues.

專家警告，該病毒很有可能從野鳥傳播至農場家禽和貓隻。由於該病毒能在水中生存，動物經常在共用的飲水處感染。因此，獸醫建議飼主將貓與鳥飼養在室內以降低感染風險，因為受感染的貓可能會出現呼吸問題和神經系統問題。

There is currently a debate regarding biosecurity rules for dogs. The federal Department of Agriculture and several state governments have recommended that dogs be kept on leashes in coastal and wetland areas. They believe that dogs could carry the virus, especially if they retrieve ducks or disturb bird colonies. This has led to discussions about whether to restrict duck hunting and the use of certain beach areas.

目前關於犬隻的生物安全規定仍有爭議。聯邦農業部和多個州政府建議，在沿海和濕地地區應為犬隻繫上牽繩。他們認為犬隻可能會攜帶病毒，尤其是當牠們叼回鴨子或干擾鳥類群落時。這引發了關於是否應限制獵鴨以及使用特定海灘區域的討論。

International experience shows that this virus can cause serious economic and environmental damage. The World Organisation for Animal Health reports that over 400 billion chickens have been killed since 2001, and recent outbreaks in the US have caused egg prices to rise. Furthermore, the virus can infect more than 100 different mammal species. While the World Health Organization states that the virus does not yet spread between humans, the death rate for human infections is very high, leading some doctors to fear a future pandemic more severe than COVID-19.

國際經驗顯示，該病毒會造成嚴重的經濟和環境損害。世界動物健康組織報告指出，自 2001 年以來已有超過 4,000 億隻雞被撲殺，而近期美國的疫情爆發導致蛋價上漲。此外，該病毒可感染 100 多種不同的哺乳類動物。雖然世界衛生組織表示該病毒尚未在人與人之間傳播，但人類感染的死亡率非常高，導致部分醫生擔心未來會出現比 COVID-19 更嚴重的全球大流行。

At present, Australia has reported two confirmed and two suspected cases in Western Australia, and one confirmed case in South Australia. Fortunately, there is no evidence yet that the virus has spread to local wildlife or farm birds.

目前，澳洲在西澳報告了兩起確診和兩起疑似病例，以及在南澳報告了一起確診病例。幸運的是，目前尚無證據顯示該病毒已傳播至本地野生動物或農場鳥類。