Australia has recorded its first mainland case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, with a migratory seabird found in Western Australia testing positive for the virus. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed on Saturday that a brown skua, discovered unwell last Sunday at Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, had died from H5N1.
Second Bird Likely Infected
Tests from Western Australia suggest a sick giant petrel found in the same area was also infected. Collins said samples were being sent to the CSIRO’s laboratory for confirmation. The highly pathogenic strain has killed millions of birds globally and crossed into mammal species, including elephant seals.
Until this week, Australia had been the only continent to escape the devastating strain. Collins told a media conference: “We all knew that we couldn’t be bird flu-free forever.” BirdLife Australia chief executive Kate Millar said the potential significance for Australian wildlife could not be overstated. “This virus has devastated wildlife populations overseas. This could be the beginning of a long fight to protect birds and wildlife in Australia,” she said.
National Response Underway
Collins promised a nationally coordinated response, initially focusing on determining how far the disease may have spread in wildlife. “We will know within a few days about whether or not this has established itself in any populations in Australia, or whether it’s migratory birds that have come up from the sub-Antarctic,” she said. There is no evidence of mass mortalities or infection in poultry.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the arrival of H5N1 was “concerning” but noted the government had spent $113 million in preparation. “What we’re about is making sure, firstly, that we do whatever we can to restrict the spread,” he said. Chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson said the WA government was conducting on-ground surveillance to investigate the presence of the disease in wild bird populations.
Cookson urged the public to avoid contact with sick or dead birds, take a photo, and report the location to authorities. “At this early stage, it is difficult to make a conclusion about whether the infection has established in wildlife populations,” she said. “It is not present in our poultry or agriculture production systems.”
Preparations and Risks
The development follows the confirmation of thousands of southern elephant seal pup deaths on Heard Island and hundreds of adult king penguins in the subantarctic due to the disease in 2025 and 2026. Threatened species commissioner Fiona Fraser said governments had analyzed which Australian birds and mammals could be most susceptible, including the Tasmanian devil and critically endangered orange-bellied parrot.
Fraser warned that H5N1 could push common species like the black swan onto the threatened list. Marine mammals such as the Australian fur seal and sea lion were also at risk. Governments have developed over 100 response plans for at-risk animals and important natural sites, including Ramsar wetlands and islands.
