Australia to evacuate sub-Antarctic research base over bird flu fears

Australia confirmed it would evacuate workers from a research station on a remote island over the “psychosocial” risk caused by a potential outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza.



Macquarie Island lies halfway between Tasmania and the Antarctic and is home to an Australian research station as well as thousands of elephant seals.



The mammals are highly susceptible to H5N1 bird flu and while no cases have been detected on the island, officials said many were expected to die during the breeding season from September through November.



Officials in June reported thousands of elephant seal pups had died of bird flu on another remote Australian territory, the Heard and McDonald Islands.



The country was for years the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and death in poultry and wild birds worldwide.