A migratory sea bird known as a brown skua found in Western Australia's Cape Le Grand National Park tested positive for avian influenza, and further testing is being conducted to confirm the strain, said state Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis.
"We are taking the suspected case of H5 bird flu seriously," Jarvis said. "If this is confirmed H5 bird incursion, there will be a rapid and coordinated national response."
The virulent strain of H5 bird flu has spread through wild bird and mammal populations since 2021, killing millions, infecting poultry and dairy farms and even some farmworkers.
A person holds a test tube labeled "Bird Flu" in this picture illustration, Jan. 14, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Australia is the only continent without a confirmed mainland case of the deadly strain. H5 was confirmed on Heard Island, a sub-Antarctic Australian territory in late 2025.
