H5N1 avian flu is circulating among Australian bird populations amid mass animal deaths reported across affected areas. A little penguin on King Island has contracted the contagion. Suspected cases of the infection have recently surfaced at a South Australian popular destination.
Mass vaccination of little penguins has started in an effort to combat the spread. Authorities are examining what happens next when hundreds of animals perish from bird flu during an infection wave. Teams are moving quickly to control the spread and protect native bird species.