Australia is grappling with an escalating bird flu situation following the detection of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in four migratory seabirds across Western Australia and South Australia. The development has raised concerns about the potential impact on poultry exports and the risk of wider spread among wildlife and farmed animals.

Two additional cases of bird flu were identified on Wednesday, with one suspected positive diagnosis involving a sub-Antarctic southern giant petrel found in Quindalup, Western Australia. This follows two previously confirmed cases in the Esperance region of Western Australia. In South Australia, a southern giant petrel was confirmed positive after being found unwell at Knights Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula on June 13. The bird was receiving care at a wildlife facility before officials were alerted through social media.

WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis confirmed that samples from the suspected positive bird have been forwarded to the CSIRO laboratories in Geelong, Victoria, for further analysis. The confirmed cases all involve sub-Antarctic species known to occasionally arrive in Australia during severe weather events or when injured.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas emphasized that there is no indication the virus has spread to other animals within the wildlife care facility or to other regions of Australia, dismissing concerns of contamination between states. “This is not a contamination or an infection that has come from Western Australia to South Australia,” he said. “It is a migratory bird that has come from the Antarctica or sub-Antarctic region and then into South Australia,” he added, urging the public to report sightings of sick or dead birds.

At the federal level, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins maintained that there is currently no evidence of H5 strain infections in wild bird populations beyond the identified cases, nor within commercial poultry farms. She also highlighted that there have been no reports of mass bird mortalities linked to the virus domestically. Despite these assurances, Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson noted the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases is considering moving from the “investigation stage” to an “active response,” depending on upcoming findings. “Our first priority is to understand whether there has been spread to any other species within Australia,” Dr. Cookson said.

The virus genome sequencing undertaken on one Western Australian case aligns closely with H5 strains found in sub-Antarctic locations such as Heard and McDonald Islands, where the virus has caused significant mortality among southern elephant seal pups. Early assessments suggest that the infections detected in Western Australia represent separate introductions rather than transmission between birds.

The situation has prompted Papua New Guinea to temporarily restrict imports of Australian chicken and eggs, although this ban has since been limited to free-range products originating from Western Australia.

Environmental organizations have called for increased government funding to address the long-term threat of H5N1 bird flu to native wildlife. The Invasive Species Council urged the Australian government to allocate at least AUD 200 million over two years to enhance wildlife resilience through habitat restoration, predator control, and recovery programs. Carol Booth, policy director at the council, stressed the urgency of such measures to bolster defenses ahead of potential outbreak escalations.

In response, Minister Collins noted that the government has already invested AUD 113 million in preparedness efforts targeting the H5 strain. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as investigations proceed.