Australia confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal on Sunday, after it found the deadly virus in a long-nosed fur seal.
Authorities in the state of South Australia said they found the virus in the seal in the coastal town of Beachport, about 310 kilometers (192 miles) from the state capital, Adelaide.
Austrialia has been combating the highly pathogenic influenza after it arrived in the country in June. Earlier this month it reported its first mass seabird deaths, marking an escalation.
What did authorities have to say?
There are an estimated 100,000 long-nosed fur seals in the state's waters. The infected individual was found dead with no signs of injury, authorities said.
