Two sea birds in Western Australia have a sick virus called H5N1 bird flu.

西澳洲有兩隻海鳥感染了一種稱為 H5N1 的禽流感病毒。

The birds came from cold islands in the south. This is the first time this virus is in Australia. Experts want to know how the birds brought the virus here.

這些鳥來自南方的寒冷島嶼。這是該病毒首次在澳洲出現。專家想了解這些鳥是如何將病毒帶到這裡的。

The government is spending 113 million dollars to stop the virus. They want to protect wild animals like sea lions and swans. Some animals might get very sick because they are not used to this virus.

政府正撥款 1.13 億美元以阻止病毒傳播。他們希望保護海獅和天鵝等野生動物。由於某些動物不適應這種病毒，可能會導致病情嚴重。

Farmers are also worried about their chickens. They are cleaning their farms and stopping some public events. They want to keep their animals safe and save their money.

農民也對他們的雞群感到擔心。他們正在清理農場並停止部分公開活動。他們希望確保動物安全並避免經濟損失。

The government is watching the birds. They want to see if more birds are sick.

政府正在監測這些鳥類，以觀察是否還有更多鳥類染病。

Australian authorities have confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu strain has been found in two migratory seabirds on the southern coast of Western Australia.

澳洲當局已確認，在西澳南岸的兩隻候鳥海鳥身上發現了 H5N1 禽流感病毒。

The virus was identified in a brown skua and a giant petrel near Esperance, marking the first time this specific version of the virus has appeared in Australia. Experts are using genetic testing to find out exactly how the virus arrived, although evidence suggests it came from the south. Because the virus was previously found on subantarctic islands, it is likely that birds traveling between those islands and Australia during winter brought the disease with them.

在 Esperance 附近的一隻棕色賊鷗和一隻巨彼得信鵜身上發現了這種病毒，這標誌著該特定版本的病毒首次在澳洲出現。專家正利用基因檢測來查明病毒確切的傳入方式，儘管證據顯示其來自南方。由於該病毒先前在亞南極群島被發現，很可能是鳥類在冬季於這些島嶼與澳洲之間遷徙時將疾病帶入。

In response, the government has created an expert wildlife group to track infected animals and identify high-risk areas. Furthermore, the administration has spent about $113 million on preparation and response plans. However, ecologists are worried about native species that have lived in isolation, as some flightless birds could cause the virus to mutate. High-risk animals include Australian sea lions and black swans. Consequently, some environmental groups are asking for an additional $200 million to protect wildlife and control pests.

作為回應，政府成立了一個野生動物專家小組以追蹤受感染動物並識別高風險區域。此外，行政部門已在準備與應對計劃上投入約 1.13 億美元。然而，生態學家對一直處於隔離狀態的本土物種感到擔憂，因為部分不能飛行的鳥類可能會導致病毒變異。高風險動物包括澳洲海獅和黑天鵝。因此，部分環境團體要求額外 2 億美元以保護野生動物並控制害蟲。

Meanwhile, poultry farmers have increased their security measures to protect their birds. Although this H5N1 strain is different from the one seen earlier in 2024-25, it could still cause major economic problems. Some farmers have improved their facilities to keep livestock away from contaminated ground, and several local events in Esperance have been cancelled as a precaution. Additionally, the Australian Veterinary Association has requested $7.5 million more to hire extra staff for containment efforts.

與此同時，家禽養殖戶增加了安保措施以保護其鳥類。儘管這次的 H5N1 病毒株與 2024-25 年早前發現的不同，但仍可能造成嚴重的經濟問題。部分農戶改良了設施以避免牲畜接觸受污染的地面，而 Esperance 的幾場當地活動也採取預防措施而取消。此外，澳洲獸醫協會已要求增加 750 萬美元以僱用額外人員協助控制疫情。

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and are investigating reports of dead birds to see if the virus has spread beyond the first two cases.

當局將持續密切監控情況，並調查關於死鳥的報告，以確認病毒是否已在首兩宗個案之外傳播。

Australian authorities have confirmed the presence of the H5N1 avian influenza strain in two migratory seabirds discovered on the southern coast of Western Australia.

澳大利亞當局已確認，在西澳大利亞南海岸發現的兩隻遷徙海鳥感染了 H5N1 禽流感毒株。

The identification of the H5N1 2.3.4.4b strain in a brown skua and a giant petrel near Esperance marks the first recorded instance of this specific variant on the Australian continent. Genomic sequencing is currently being utilized to ascertain the precise transmission vector, although evidence suggests a southern route of entry. The detection of the virus on the Kerguelen, Heard, and McDonald Islands indicates that subantarctic migratory patterns likely facilitated the incursion, as these species frequently transit between these regions and Australian waters during winter months.

在 Esperance 附近的一隻棕色海燕和一隻巨彼得信鳥中鑑定出 H5N1 2.3.4.4b 毒株，這是澳大利亞大陸首次記錄到該特定變種。目前正利用基因組定序來確定準確的傳播途徑，儘管證據顯示其為從南部進入。

Institutional responses have focused on the establishment of an expert wildlife advisory group to map the movements of infected species and identify potential zones of interspecies co-mingling. The administration has allocated approximately $113 million toward preparedness and the development of over 100 response plans. Despite these measures, ecologists have expressed concern regarding the vulnerability of endemic species that evolved in isolation, noting that flightless birds could potentially drive viral mutation. High-risk taxa include Australian sea lions, black swans, and various raptors, with some environmental organizations advocating for an additional $200 million to enhance wildlife resilience and mitigate feral pest populations.

機構回應重點在於成立一個野生動物專家諮詢小組，以繪製受感染物種的移動路線並識別潛在的跨物種接觸區域。政府已撥款約 1.13 億美元用於準備工作以及制定 100 多項應對計劃。儘管採取了這些措施，生態學家仍對在隔離環境中演化的特有種之脆弱性表示擔憂，並指出不會飛的鳥類可能會推動病毒突變。高風險類群包括澳大利亞海獅、黑天鵝及各種猛禽，部分環境組織主張額外撥款 2 億美元以增強野生動物韌性並減少野外有害生物數量。

Within the agricultural sector, poultry producers have implemented heightened biosecurity protocols. While the H5N1 strain differs from the H7 variant previously encountered in 2024-25, the potential for significant economic disruption remains. Some producers have invested in infrastructure to isolate livestock from ground-level contaminants, and certain industry events in the Esperance region have been cancelled as a precautionary measure. The Australian Veterinary Association has further requested $7.5 million to augment veterinary staffing to support containment efforts.

在農業部門，家禽生產者已實施更嚴格的生物安全協定。雖然 H5N1 毒株與 2024-25 年之前遇到的 H7 變種不同，但仍具有造成重大經濟衝擊的可能性。部分生產者已投資基礎設施以將牲畜與地面污染物隔絕，且 Esperance 地區的某些行業活動已作為預防措施而取消。澳大利亞獸醫協會進一步要求 750 萬美元以增加獸醫人力，支持圍堵工作。

The current situation remains under surveillance, with authorities monitoring numerous reports of avian mortality to determine if the virus has expanded beyond the initial two cases.

目前情況仍持續監控中，當局正監測多宗鳥類死亡報告，以確定病毒是否已擴散至最初的兩宗個案之外。