The Australian government has confirmed the detection of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus on its mainland for the first time, marking the end of the country’s status as the only continent free from the deadly strain.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced on Friday that a migratory brown skua found dead in a national park in Western Australia tested positive for the H5N1 virus. Another seabird, a giant petrel, also returned a preliminary positive result for the virus and samples have been sent to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for final confirmation.
“This is a migratory seabird,” Collins said at a news conference in Canberra. “It was found sick in a remote area near Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia.”
Before this detection, Australia was the only continent where the H5N1 virus had not been found on its mainland, though the virus was detected on Heard Island in the Australian external territories last October. Scientists visiting the sub-Antarctic island estimated that more than 75 percent of the southern elephant seal pups died from the virus.
Since 2022, the H5N1 2.3.4.4b strain has spread across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, killing hundreds of millions of wild and domesticated birds. The strain has also infected mammals, including cattle in the United States and, in rare cases, humans.
Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson has urged the public not to handle dead birds. “We are asking people not to touch sick or dead birds and to report any unusual bird deaths to the authorities,” she said.
Collins said the government has been preparing for this scenario based on experiences from other countries. “We have been investing and preparing for avian influenza for almost two years,” she added. “Australia cannot remain indefinitely free from avian influenza, and we were the only continent that had not seen this strain.”
Authorities said there is no evidence of mass bird deaths or poultry infections at this stage. The government has convened meetings with state and territory representatives as well as industry experts to discuss response measures.
According to health officials, the risk of H5N1 infection to human health remains low, though they continue to monitor the situation closely.