Sydney: Australia has confirmed a second case of H5N1 bird flu in Western Australia, with Agriculture Minister Julie Collins on Monday announcing that a giant petrel found near Esperance had tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.
The latest case comes days after authorities confirmed the first mainland detection of the virus in a migratory brown skua found sick in Cape Le Grand National Park, near the town of Esperance, about 570 km southeast of Perth.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would do everything possible to prevent the spread of the virus, describing the situation as "concerning".
Despite the two confirmed cases in wild seabirds, Collins said there was no evidence of mass bird deaths and no signs that the virus had entered Australia's poultry or agricultural systems.
"There’s no evidence that it's in our poultry or agriculture system at this stage," she said.
Australia had long been the only continent without a confirmed mainland H5N1 outbreak. The virus was previously detected in late 2025 on Heard Island, a remote Australian territory in the sub-Antarctic, around 4,100 km from the mainland.
Authorities have stepped up biosecurity measures, including increased surveillance of migratory birds, farm protection measures, vaccination programmes for vulnerable species and response exercises aimed at containing any spread.
Human infections of H5N1 remain rare, but the virus has devastated bird populations worldwide and led to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry, disrupting food supplies and pushing up prices.
