'Covid with feathers': Conspiracy theories undermine bird flu response in SA

South Australia is grappling with a problem that extends beyond the virus itself. As H5 bird flu spreads across the state—303 confirmed cases so far, with dead seals, little penguins, and pelicans washing ashore—the outbreak has collided with something equally difficult to contain: the conviction among some that the whole thing is fabricated.

Since June, wildlife authorities have fielded more than 11,000 reports of sick and dead animals. The first sea lion died at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island last weekend. On social media, the response from some corners was immediate and dismissive. Facebook comment sections under posts from major South Australian news outlets, government agencies, and conservation groups filled with accusations of "propaganda." Users urged officials to "stop this lie already." Hundreds of laughing emoji reactions appeared beneath announcements of wildlife deaths. Some commenters voiced fears of lockdowns returning, echoing the anxieties that defined the pandemic years.

Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist at Adelaide University and one of Australia's most experienced voices on infectious disease, has watched this pattern before. He sees in the current moment a direct continuation of what happened during Covid. "This is like Covid with feathers," he told InDaily, describing how the same skepticism, the same refusal to accept official accounts, has simply shifted targets. Esterman traces much of this resistance back to how governments—federal and state—managed the pandemic itself. Different quarantine rules across jurisdictions, varying lockdown periods, inconsistent messaging. "The whole thing became a mess," he said. "And on top of that, they were very poor at messaging."

The H5 bird flu virus itself is not new. The first recorded outbreak dates to 1878 in northern Italy. The H5N1 strain circulating now has been around for five years, though the broader H5 family has persisted for more than three decades. Globally, it has devastated wild bird and marine mammal populations. Esterman is blunt about what lies ahead for South Australia: "It's wiped out millions and millions of wild birds and marine mammals all over the world. It has the potential and almost certainly will wipe out vast numbers of our wild birds. There's no question about that because it's done it all over the world."

Breaking through the noise requires a different approach than arguing with individual skeptics online, Esterman argues. The answer is sustained, clear, evidence-based communication directed at broader audiences. "You provide evidence-based correct information. You explain why the statement is false, and then again repeat the correct information," he said. If governments and health authorities can explain plainly what is happening, why it is happening, and what response is underway, he believes public understanding can improve.

Jack Gough, CEO of the Invasive Species Council, says he is unsurprised by the conspiracy theories but troubled by their reach. "It's definitely a concerning trend when something at the scale of bird flu does need a really serious government response and community response. Unfortunately, these conspiracy theories can do some real damage and undermine that," he said. He has observed the pattern across multiple issues: conspiracy theories emerge quickly wherever large government interventions are involved. Yet Gough also notes that the broader public response has been substantive. "There's a huge amount of concern widely from the public around the impact, particularly on wildlife, of bird flu," he said. The problem is that whenever any organization—news outlet, government agency, on-ground group—posts information about birds, it gets rapidly overtaken by conspiratorial commentary.

Environment Minister Emily Bourke framed the volume of calls and reports as evidence of how seriously South Australians regard the threat. "The community is a critical part of our surveillance network and when people report sick or dead birds and wildlife, it helps us detect new cases earlier and support faster decision-making to minimise the impacts on wildlife," she said. She pushed back against the notion that emoji reactions and conspiracy comments represent genuine public sentiment, pointing instead to the substantial reporting and engagement from residents across the state. The challenge now is whether clear communication can outpace the spread of doubt.