澳大利亚已在五个州的102只野生海鸟中确认了H5N1禽流感[1]。圣诞岛军舰鸟、豪特曼信天翁、先驱鹱、赫德岛帝鸬和麦夸里岛帝鸬等五种鸟类物种面临极端风险[1]。澳大利亚政府周二发布的风险物种名单显示，近五分之一的澳大利亚鸟类和哺乳动物物种正面临高风险或极端风险[1]。
病毒已对当地海洋哺乳动物造成灾难性影响。澳大利亚亚南极地区赫德岛在2025年有约13,359只象海豹幼崽死亡，据信源于这一病毒[1]。此前2023年，阿根廷有超过17,000只南象海豹幼崽因禽流感丧生[1]。受禽流感造成的死亡率影响，南象海豹于2025年4月被列入国际自然保护联盟红色名单濒危等级[1]。
面对这一威胁，其他国家已采取疫苗接种行动。新西兰在H5N1到达前已开始为约300只稀有鸟类接种疫苗[1]，美国已为207只加州神鹫接种疫苗[1]。专家呼吁澳大利亚应紧急对高风险野生动物进行疫苗接种，以防止濒危物种的局部灭绝，并需制定明确的接种策略和时间表[1]。
Australia has confirmed H5N1 avian influenza in 102 wild seabirds across five states, prompting calls for an immediate wildlife vaccination program targeting the most vulnerable species [1]. The situation poses a severe threat to several critically endangered bird populations, including Christmas Island frigatebirds, Hutton's albatrosses, herald petrels, Heard Island cormorants, and Macquarie Island cormorants [1].
The scale of potential devastation is evident from recent mortality events in the region. In 2023, Argentina recorded over 17,000 southern elephant seal pups dead from avian influenza [1], while in 2025, approximately 13,359 elephant seal pups on Heard Island in Australia's subantarctic region died, believed to be virus-related [1]. The impact has been severe enough that southern elephant seals were listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List in April 2025, partly due to catastrophic death rates caused by avian influenza [1].
Other countries have already begun protective measures. New Zealand has vaccinated approximately 300 rare birds before H5N1 arrival [1], and the United States has inoculated 207 California condors [1]. Australia's government released a risk species list this week indicating that nearly one-fifth of Australian bird and mammal species face high or extreme risk [1]. Despite having emergency vaccination policies and pilot research underway, experts argue that Australia's response remains insufficiently proactive and requires clearly defined vaccination strategies and timelines to prevent local extinctions among endangered populations.
