Authorities have reported the first case of local transmission of H5 bird flu in Australia, though the country’s poultry industry remains untouched. Australia had 27 confirmed cases of H5 bird flu in wild seabirds: 10 in Western Australia, 14 in South Australia, two in NSW, and one in Queensland. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced the first local transmission on Wednesday. Credit: News Corp AustraliaChief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said it was not “unexpected for us to start to see more local transmission in birds that share the same coastal habitat”. “This news of some local transmission may mean we start to see wider spread among wild birds and other susceptible wildlife,” she said.