In June 2026, Australia confirmed its first detections of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5 bird flu) in wild seabirds. Subsequently in August 2026, Australia confirmed its first detections of H5 bird flu in mammals.
Since the first detection, Australia has confirmed H5 bird flu in 6 jurisdictions:
- Western Australia
- South Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- Victoria
- Tasmania
To date, all detections have been in wildlife - mostly wild birds, as well as a small number of marine and terrestrial mammals. There are no detections in poultry or our agricultural system.
It is not feasible to eradicate in H5 bird flu in wildlife and is expected to remain an ongoing wildlife disease in Australia, requiring continued monitoring and management. Please see birdflu.gov.au for up-to-date data on detections in Australia, including species affected
There has been evidence of local transmission between wild birds in Victoria and South Australia, and a number of mass mortality events have occurred in wild birds. While any mortalities caused by H5 bird flu in our native species are concerning, it is not unexpected. We expect to see a similar scale of impacts on our native species as seen overseas and it will not be possible to avoid significant losses of susceptible wildlife in the natural environment as H5 bird flu continues to spread across Australia.
The National Management Agreement for H5 bird flu (H5 NMA) has been enacted to coordinate response efforts and reduce risks to human and animal health and the environment, including already threatened species.
As H5 bird flu becomes more widespread across Australia, testing and reporting every individual affected bird may not always be the best way to understand the overall situation. A national surveillance plan is in place to find and track ongoing detections. The focus will be on investigations and key events to provide a clearer picture of where H5 bird flu is occurring, which species are affected, and how the situation is changing over time.
Jurisdictional government agencies are leading the on-ground response and national coordination is being led by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
AVOID. RECORD. REPORT.
Any unusual illness or death in wild birds should be reported via the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
For more information on these H5 bird flu events, see:
See Australian reports to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for more information: Event 7649
WHA information can be found on the WHA H5 Bird Flu resource centre, which provides information sheets, videos and toolkits for preparing, understanding and responding to H5 bird flu.