First Confirmed H5 Bird Flu Infection Detected in Australian Greater Crested Tern

Scientists in Australia have confirmed the presence of the highly contagious H5 bird flu virus in a native seabird for the first time, the government announced on Friday.

Australia had long been the only continent free of this H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and high mortality among poultry and wild bird populations worldwide. Since June, authorities have recorded a total of 12 H5 cases in the country, all linked to migratory seabirds.

Laboratory analysis identified the infected bird as a greater crested tern found in Robe, South Australia. “While this development is concerning, it was not unexpected,” said Agriculture Minister Julie Collins during a news conference in Hobart, Tasmania.

Collins emphasized, “At this time, there is still no evidence of mass mortality caused by the H5 bird flu.” She added that no transmission has been detected in other animal populations, poultry, or agricultural systems, and that the risk to human health remains low.

Scientists are working to determine how the virus reached the Australian bird, according to Collins. She highlighted that the bird is a coastal species whose range overlaps with migratory seabirds previously tested positive for H5.

In response, the South Australian government has initiated “enhanced surveillance” measures in the area where the bird was located.

The emergence of H5 raises concerns about increased extinction risk for Australia’s unique fauna. Nearly half of the nation’s wild bird species, and 83 % of its mammals, are endemic to the continent.

Wild birds most vulnerable to the H5 strain include waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds, and raptors. Marine mammals have also shown infections, with cases reported in cats, goats, alpacas, and pigs.

Investigators are exploring whether the disease entered Australia via migratory birds from the sub‑Antarctic region. In June, researchers reported that the same H5 strain killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after infecting a breeding colony on Heard and McDonald Islands, Australian external territories in the sub‑Antarctic.

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