Australia to Evacuate Macquarie Island Researchers Over Bird Flu Risk

The Australian Antarctic Division is dispatching the icebreaker Nuyina to evacuate 24 researchers from Macquarie Island due to the psychological risk of a potential H5 avian influenza outbreak.

While the disease has not yet been detected on the island, the decision follows the death of over 13,000 seal pups on Heard Island and McDonald Islands due to the virus.

This evacuation marks the first time the station will be left without personnel since its 1948 establishment, as the government prepares for a A$370 million rebuild of the facility by 2032.