Australia confirmed its first mass mortality event linked to the H5N1 bird flu virus on Monday, after the disease killed approximately 50 greater crested terns off the coast south of Adelaide, prompting federal officials to warn that further spread among the country's wildlife is now likely.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told reporters in Canberra that testing had confirmed H5N1 bird flu in a group of 49 dead and 35 sick terns discovered by helicopter surveillance on rocks off Cape Jaffa, located roughly 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, from Adelaide, following the survey conducted Friday. "This is the first confirmed case of a mass mortality," Collins said. She warned that additional wildlife losses should now be expected as the virus continues moving through Australia's bird populations. "Australians should expect to see more spread and larger numbers now of wildlife being affected," Collins said. "Once the H5 bird flu is spreading in wildlife and the natural environment, it is not possible to avoid significant losses, which is what we're starting to see now."

Despite the confirmed mass mortality........

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