Australia has confirmed its first mainland case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu after the virus was detected in a migratory seabird found on the coast of Western Australia.
The discovery means the highly infectious strain has now been recorded on every continent, raising fresh concern about its potential impact on Australia’s wildlife and poultry industry.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the virus was identified in a brown skua recovered from Cape Le Grand National Park, near Esperance, about 700 kilometres south-east of Perth. The bird was found in poor condition and later died before laboratory tests confirmed the infection.
“We all knew we couldn’t be bird flu-free forever,” Collins said during a press conference announcing the result.
Authorities are also investigating a second possible case involving a southern petrel found exhausted on a nearby beach. Although wildlife surveillance has been increased in the area, Collins said there was no “evidence of mass mortalities at this time.”
Officials are now working to determine whether the virus has spread beyond the two birds. Threatened Species Commissioner Fiona Fraser said further test results were expected “within a few days,” while Australia’s chief veterinary officer, Beth Cookson, said agencies had been “preparing for this event for a long time.”
The country’s emergency animal disease committee met following the confirmation to review monitoring, testing, and biosecurity measures. There is currently no indication that the virus has reached commercial poultry farms.
H5N1 had previously been found on Heard Island, a remote Australian territory in the southern Indian Ocean. Recent research estimated that the virus killed about 13,000 elephant seal pups there, accounting for more than three-quarters of the young animals in the colony. Higher than expected deaths were also reported among penguins.
Scientists believe migrating birds may have carried the virus from the French-administered Crozet Islands, around 1,800 kilometres away.
Avian influenza primarily affects birds, but it can also infect mammals, including seals, foxes, and otters. Human cases remain rare and are generally linked to close contact with infected animals. Authorities have urged the public not to handle sick or dead wildlife and to report unusual animal deaths to local officials.