H5N1 avian flu is spreading in Australian bird populations following mass animal deaths recorded across affected areas. A little penguin on King Island has contracted the deadly pathogen. Suspected cases of the infection have recently surfaced at a South Australian visitor location.
Mass vaccination of little penguins has commenced in an effort to combat the outbreak. Authorities are looking into what happens next when hundreds of animals die from bird flu during an outbreak. Teams are moving quickly to contain the threat and protect native bird species.