The Australian government has launched a vaccination campaign for priority native and captive birds against the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has been spreading across the country since the outbreak was detected in June, according to a press conference held by the Australian government in Canberra, to which Reuters had access.
The distribution of the vaccine will begin in the "coming days and weeks", initially focusing on priority species in captivity. Since last week, mass deaths of waterbirds have been reported across the country due to this disease, which affects all birds.
Around 45 per cent of Australia's approximately 850 bird species are endemic, meaning they are unique to Australia and are not found anywhere else on the planet.