H5N1 avian flu is spreading in Australian bird populations following mass animal deaths noted across affected areas. A little penguin on King Island has been confirmed with the contagion. Suspected cases of the infection have also emerged at a South Australian tourist site.
Mass vaccination of little penguins has begun in an attempt to limit the spread. Authorities are looking into what happens next when hundreds of animals perish from bird flu during an infection wave. Teams are working to control the spread and preserve vulnerable bird populations.