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Australia Races to Shield Little Penguins From H5N1 Bird Flu
Wildlife officers will vaccinate more than 5,000 birds in the world’s largest wild-bird program as one penguin has already died, officials said.
- On Monday, Victorian wildlife officers launched an unprecedented H5N1 vaccination program at Phillip Island and St Kilda colonies, aiming to inoculate about 5,000 little penguins against the highly contagious virus.
- The virus was detected recently in a Phillip Island penguin that died, marking the first local infection. Because the pathogen is highly infectious in crowded colonies, officials view vaccination as an essential tool to reduce disease impact.
- "Trying to vaccinate wild populations is almost impossible, partly because you need two doses of the vaccine," Todd told AFP. Teams may corral birds as they come ashore to administer shots.
- Wildlife experts are familiar with little penguins' burrows, making them easier to target than other species. The birds are accustomed to the "penguin parade" tourist attraction, which draws more than 700,000 visitors annually.
- New Zealand is also vaccinating around 300 captive individuals from five species, reflecting the regional response to the outbreak. Todd noted a "state of urgency," with experts considering a shortened one to two week interval between doses.
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Radio France Internationale+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Australia races to shield little penguins from H5N1 bird flu
Hundreds of thousands of tourists a year flock to viewing areas and boardwalks to watch the diminutive sea birds waddle ashore and along the beach in the evenings on the eastern coast's Phillip Island. The stars of this "penguin parade" are from a wild colony on the island, numbering up to 40,000 seabirds at the height of the breeding season in the southern hemisphere's spring and summer. It is the world's biggest single colony of little penguin…
·Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources10
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left
45% Left
L 45%
C 33%
R 22%
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