Bird Flu Spreading in Australia; Researchers Warn Backyard Feeders Add Risk

Bird flu is spreading across Australia, and backyard bird feeding could make the outbreak worse, according to researchers, who note that about half of Australian households feed wild birds, many doing so daily. The H5N1 strain has already devastated wild bird and mammal populations worldwide, and in Australia it has recently killed more than 1,000 crested terns and a long-nosed fur seal, the first detection of the virus in a mainland mammal there.

Backyard feeding stations can act as disease transmission hotspots because supplementary food such as seeds or meat scraps draws together species and numbers of birds that would not naturally congregate, researchers say. That raises the risk that H5N1 spreads between species at a feeder. The virus's fatal effects are not limited to birds: scavengers such as possums, red foxes and crows can be exposed while eating the carcasses of infected birds, and threatened species such as the orange-bellied parrot could be pushed toward extinction. Humans in close contact with infected wildlife, including wildlife carers and veterinarians, can contract H5N1, though human infection is rare and typically causes only mild symptoms.

Researchers note that most birds visiting feeders obtain the bulk of their nutrition from natural sources such as insects and worms, meaning supplementary food functions as a snack rather than an essential meal. For people who continue feeding wild birds, researchers recommend offering less food to discourage large gatherings, avoiding hand-feeding, and regularly cleaning feeding surfaces and equipment with household bleach.

People in Australia who spot a sick or dead bird or marine mammal are advised not to touch it, to photograph it from a safe distance, to keep pets away, and to report the sighting to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline at 1800 675 888.