Australia investigates suspected mainland H5 bird flu case in Western Australia

Federal and Western Australian authorities are investigating a suspected avian influenza case in a wild bird found in southern Western Australia, with confirmatory testing still pending.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said initial testing on the bird returned a suspected positive result and that samples were sent to the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong. A second sick bird found nearby is also being tested.

Officials have stressed that there is no evidence at this stage of mass mortality or infection in poultry. They have urged the public not to touch sick or dead birds and to report sightings to the emergency animal disease hotline or through birdflu.gov.au.

If the result is confirmed as H5 bird flu, it would be the first detection of that strain on mainland Australia.

What happened

The bird, a brown skua, was found sick in an isolated area in southern Western Australia and later died. Reporting on Friday said the sample had produced an initial suspected H5 result, prompting further analysis by national biosecurity specialists.

The timeline is still moving. News reports earlier in the day said a suspicious bird flu result had been identified in western Australia, and later reports said confirmatory testing was under way at CSIRO. The Guardian later reported that the initial testing had returned a suspected positive result and that a second bird was also being examined.

Official response

Collins said there was no evidence of a broader outbreak and no sign of poultry infection. Western Australian Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis said the bird was isolated, samples were collected and a coordinated response would follow if H5 is confirmed.

The Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is involved in the response, along with the CSIRO laboratory handling confirmation testing.

Why this matters

Australia has so far been the only continent without the H5 bird flu strain, so a confirmed mainland detection would be a significant biosecurity development. It would also test the country’s surveillance and response systems for wildlife and poultry.

The case comes against a broader backdrop of concern about H5N1 internationally and in Australia’s subantarctic territory, where recent reporting has described bird flu-related wildlife deaths on Heard Island and McDonald Island. Officials have said Australia has been preparing for a possible H5N1 incursion through exercises and response planning.

What happens next

The key next step is confirmatory testing from CSIRO to determine whether the bird carried H5 and, if so, whether it was H5N1.

Authorities are also waiting for results from the second sick bird found in the same area. They will be watching for any additional wild bird deaths, any sign of spread, and any evidence of exposure in poultry or livestock.

For now, the case remains under investigation, and officials are asking the public to avoid handling sick or dead birds and to report sightings quickly.