Overview
- A brown skua found near Esperance tested positive for highly pathogenic H5 on Saturday and a northern giant petrel was confirmed positive by Monday, marking the first mainland detections in Australia.
- Federal and Western Australian agencies have activated coordinated surveillance and ramped up coastal testing with officials saying the next three to seven days are critical to determine spread.
- There is no evidence so far of infection in commercial poultry or mass wildlife die‑offs, but major producers in Western Australia have imposed precautionary lockdowns and tightened biosecurity.
- Scientists and conservation groups warn the strain poses a serious threat to seabird colonies and marine mammals and are calling for increased, sustained funding to protect vulnerable species.
- Public health officials say human risk remains low because infections have been rare globally and linked to close animal contact, and they urge the public to report sick or dead wildlife to the emergency animal disease hotline.