Australia's CSIRO is evaluating a red fox over potential H5N1 avian influenza infection, marking the agency's first terrestrial mammal test for the virus. Outbreaks of avian flu across Australia pose a growing threat to local wildlife. Affected animals include an elephant seal in a Victorian focus area, with a case found in Merri-bek.
In South Dakota, avian flu has affected 77,700 birds, pushing the overall four-year outbreak total to 8.1 million birds. Beyond these reported cases, experts caution that feeding birds in backyards might serve as a major spreading vector.