CANBERRA, July 10 (Xinhua): Australian authorities on Friday announced that local transmission of the H5N1 avian influenza has been detected after a coastal bird in South Australia (SA) tested positive for the deadly strain.

Australia's Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins told reporters that testing of a non-migratory greater crested tern that was found dead near the coastal SA town of Robe returned a positive reading for the H5N1 strain.

It marks the first confirmed case of the highly pathogenic strain in local wildlife on the Australian mainland, with all previous cases detected in migratory birds from the sub-Antarctic region.

Collins said that authorities in SA were implementing enhanced surveillance in the area where the bird was found and that investigations into how the bird contracted the strain are underway.

"Our scientists are undertaking further work to establish the potential pathway that resulted in the Australian seabird's infection," she said.

"While this is a concerning development, it is not unexpected and is another sign that our strong biosecurity system is working."

In addition to the greater crested tern, Collins said that authorities have confirmed two more cases of the H5N1 strain in SA and one more in Western Australia (WA), taking the total number of reported cases on the Australian mainland to 12.

The Australian mainland was the only continent without a confirmed case of the strain prior to the first detection in WA in June.

Photo from AFP