Australian authorities have confirmed that H5 avian influenza has infected a native seabird for the first time, showing that the virus is spreading further within the region.

澳洲當局確認 H5 禽流感首次感染了本土海鳥，顯示該病毒在該地區進一步傳播。

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) confirmed the H5 strain in a greater crested tern found in Robe, South Australia. This is a significant change in how the virus is behaving in Australia. While previous cases were only found in migratory birds from the sub-Antarctic, such as giant petrels, this case involves a local species. Including this bird and three other recent cases, there are now twelve confirmed detections in total.

澳洲聯邦科學及工業研究組織（CSIRO）在南澳洲的 Robe 發現了一隻感染 H5 病毒株的大冠燕鷗。這是該病毒在澳洲行為模式的一次重大轉變。之前的病例僅發現於來自亞南極的遷徙鳥類（如巨彼得鳥），而此次病例則涉及本地物種。加上這隻鳥及近期其他三個病例，目前總計已確認 12 起檢出案例。

Experts are now studying whether the virus spread because native birds and migratory birds share the same coastal habitats. Consequently, South Australian authorities have started stricter monitoring to reduce further risks. These steps follow a large aerial survey—the biggest in forty years—which found no evidence of mass deaths among seals or seabirds. Furthermore, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins emphasized that because the virus has not reached the farming sector, the national biosecurity systems are still working effectively.

專家目前正在研究該病毒是否因本土鳥類與遷徙鳥類共用相同的海岸棲息地而傳播。因此，南澳洲當局已開始實施更嚴格的監控，以降低進一步風險。這些措施是在一次大型空中調查後採取的——這是 40 年來規模最大的一次調查——結果未發現海豹或海鳥大規模死亡的證據。此外，農業部長 Julie Collins 強調，由於病毒尚未波及農業部門，國家生物安全系統仍運作良好。

The H5 virus has moved from migratory birds to native populations, although it has not affected the agricultural industry so far.

H5 病毒已從遷徙鳥類傳播至本土族群，儘管目前尚未影響農業。