Highly contagious bird flu found in Australia for the first time
20.06.2026, dpa
Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP/dpa
20.06.2026, dpa
The highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus has been detected in mainland Australia for the first time, authorities said on Saturday.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said a brown skua, a type of migratory seabird, found on a remote beach south of Perth in Western Australia had tested positive for the disease.
The positive result means the virus, which has infected millions of birds worldwide, had now spread to every continent.
"This is the highly pathogenic strain of concern that has been circulating globally, and this is its first detection on mainland Australia," Collins said.
There was no evidence of any mass mortalities nor any evidence of infection in any poultry, she said.
Samples from another sick bird from the same region had been tested and had returned a suspected positive result for the avian influenza. The samples had now been sent for confirmatory testing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the case was concerning, but the country was well prepared to respond.
"This is something that has happened through migratory birds, and has happened by definition around the world, and this is why we are preparing for this," he said.
Collins pointed to a A$100 million (US$70 million) government investment to prepare for a potential avian influenza outbreak.
"We have looked at what has happened overseas we have learnt from that, which is why we have invested early."
The H5 variant of avian flu was found on the sub-Antarctic remote Australian territory of Heard Island last year. The disease was detected on the island, about 4,000 kilometres south-west of Perth, after an unusually high number of elephant seals died there.
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