Dead minke whale fuels bird flu panic as it washes up on beach near Victor Harbour, South Australia

A juvenile minke whale has washed up on a beach near Victor Harbour in South Australia, igniting fears of further bird flu contagion in the region.

Beachgoer Malakye Muirhead found the beached whale carcass on Dump Beach before notifying the Department for Environment and Water through the Primary Industry Regions SA hotline.

PIRSA quickly moved onlookers away from the deceased animal and announced the carcass would be tested for H5 bird flu due to recent mammal infections in South Australia, including a long-nosed fur seal, dolphin and fox.

The Bird Flu state government website states that whilst bird flu is primarily associated as a disease of avian species, “mammals that hunt or scavenge infected wildlife may be at greater risk of exposure than herbivorous species”.

Testing of the juvenile whale has returned negative for H5 bird flu on Friday, which has raised further concerns of why it died.

The Fleurieu Marine Education Centre’s Ian Milne told the ABC that it would be unusual for a dead whale to wash up with no reason.

“I’ve lived in the area for 50 years, and dead whales are uncommon,” Mr Milne said.

“It’s a juvenile, and we’ve had some rough weather, so it may have got separated from its pod or mother and perished through lack of contact.”

A PIRSA spokesperson confirmed there to be no visible injuries on the animal so further testing must occur to determine its cause of death.

“Rangers did not detect any external injuries,” the spokesperson said.

“The carcass has been removed and will undergo a necropsy and laboratory testing – including for H5 bird flu and algal toxins – to determine the cause of death.”