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Australia Confirms First H5N1 Bird Flu Detection in a Dolphin

Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of a bottlenose dolphin swimming at the ocean surface amid dark water and bright splashes, rendered in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel strokes.

South Australian authorities confirmed H5N1 in a recently deceased common dolphin found at Goolwa on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Australia's first detection of the virus in a dolphin. The case is the country's second confirmed infection in a native mammal species, following a long-nosed fur seal. Officials said the dolphin probably ate or closely interacted with an infected wild bird, and its sample was referred to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for further analysis. Authorities reported no detections in poultry or other livestock and said the human-health risk remained low.

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