Australia Reports First H5N1 Detection in a Dolphin, Plus Fox Case Near Adelaide

South Australian officials said on August 28 that H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in a dead dolphin found in Goolwa, about 60 kilometers south of Adelaide, marking Australia's first known detection of the virus in a dolphin. Jiemian News reported that authorities also confirmed an H5 virus case in a red fox near Adelaide, which Australia’s chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson said was the country’s first such case in a terrestrial mammal. Cookson said the risk to human health remains low. Australia first detected H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza on the mainland in June, and as of August 23 there had been 298 H5 avian influenza cases, including 183 in South Australia.