H5N1 avian flu is circulating among Australian bird populations amid mass animal deaths recorded across affected areas. A little penguin on King Island has contracted 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 viral threat. Authorities are investigating what happens next when hundreds of animals die from bird flu during an unfolding crisis. Teams are moving quickly to control the spread and safeguard local wildlife.