澳大利亚于8月23日（周日）确认首例H5N1禽流感在哺乳动物中的感染病例12。南澳州沿海城镇比奇港一只长鼻毛皮海豹被检测呈阳性12，该海豹已死亡4。当局推断这只海豹从野生鸟类感染了病毒2。
自6月禽流感传入澳大利亚以来2，疫情已在全国蔓延。政府截至周五确认297例确诊病例1，各州分布为南澳州182例、维多利亚州86例、西澳州10例、新南威尔士州11例、塔斯马尼亚州9例2。目前病毒尚未传播到家禽或农业部门1。
澳大利亚农业部长朱莉·柯林斯表示，"一旦H5禽流感在自然环境中传播，避免显著损失是不可能的"1。她进一步指出，在其他野生动物特别是海洋哺乳动物中发现感染是"预料之中的"2。入侵物种委员会首席执行官杰克·戈夫警告称，"从南美和南极洲的经验来看，海豹等哺乳动物之间的病毒传播迅速导致高死亡率，特别是在幼崽中"2。
国际案例显示了该病毒对海洋哺乳动物种群的潜在威胁。阿根廷在2023年的H5N1爆发中有超过17000只南象海豹幼崽死亡，一个密集监测殖民地的死亡率达到95%4。南格鲁吉亚岛2022至2024年间育种母象海豹数量下降47%4，澳大利亚赫德岛2025年期间估计有13359只象海豹幼崽死亡4。澳大利亚海狮种群总数估计不足12000只，其中约85%在南澳州4。
目前澳大利亚缺乏商业可用的H5哺乳动物疫苗4。政府已于8月早些时候宣布将启动基于物种易感性和保护影响的鸟类疫苗接种计划1。美国研究人员曾用原为乳牛开发的疫苗在北象海豹上进行试验，产生了可测量的抗体反应4。
Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu infection in a mammal, marking a significant escalation in the outbreak that has affected the country since June 12. A fur seal species tested positive for the virus in Beachport, a coastal town in South Australia located approximately 310 kilometers from Adelaide 12. Authorities believe the infected animal contracted the virus from wild birds 2.
The discovery carries serious implications for wildlife conservation. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins acknowledged the concerning development, stating that "once the H5 bird flu is spreading in the natural environment it is not possible to avoid significant losses" 1. As of Friday, the government had confirmed 297 cases of H5N1 across the country, distributed across multiple states: South Australia reported 182 cases, Victoria 86, New South Wales 11, Western Australia 10, and Tasmania 9 2. Importantly, no cases have been detected in agricultural or farming sectors 2.
International experience suggests the threat to marine mammals could be severe. In Argentina, an H5N1 outbreak in 2023 resulted in more than 17,000 deaths among southern elephant seal pups, with one monitored colony experiencing a 95 percent mortality rate 4. South Georgia experienced a 47 percent decline in breeding elephant seals between 2022 and 2024 4, while Australia's Heard Island saw an estimated 13,359 elephant seal pup deaths during the 2025 outbreak 4. The Australian sea lion population globally numbers fewer than 12,000 individuals, with approximately 85 percent residing in South Australian waters 4. The government announced in early August that it would launch a bird vaccination program based on species susceptibility and conservation impact 1, though no commercially available H5 vaccine currently exists for mammals in Australia 4.
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