February 24, 2006

No sign of H5N1 bird flu in Australia

The government said Thursday Feb 23 there was no sign of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in Australia and that widespread monitoring of the wild bird population was continuing.

Gardner Murray, the chief veterinary officer, said in a statement that Australia was on the alert for the virus entering the country in migratory birds.

"It is important for us to remain vigilant," he said.