Australia confirms first case of bird flu as virus reaches every continent

Australia was previously the only continent where the H5N1 bird flu strain had not yet been found.

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The disease was found in a migratory seabird, a brown skua, in remote Western Australia, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said on Saturday.

The bird was found on a beach at the Cape Le Grand National Park near the town of Esperance, about 700km (434 mi) south-east of Perth, according to local media.

Australia was previously the only continent where the H5N1 bird flu strain had not been found.

The strain can spread quickly among poultry and wild bird populations. Human cases tied to the disease remain uncommon.