Full Breakdown
Recent H5 Bird-Flu Findings in Australian Seabirds
7/17/2026, 8:18:12 AM
Recent Detections and Testing
A northern giant petrel recovered from Noosa Main Beach on the Sunshine Coast tested negative for the H5 strain of avian influenza after analysis by Biosecurity Queensland. The bird was taken to the RSPCA Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and examined under the state’s surveillance program. Two weeks later, a second giant petrel found dead on Bennetts Beach at Hawks Nest on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales tested positive for H5. This marks the fifteenth confirmed or presumed positive detection of the virus in Australia. The first Australian H5 case was identified less than a month earlier in a migratory seabird on a remote Western Australian beach, and a total of 13 cases have since been confirmed across Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.
Surveillance Efforts and Official Responses
State and federal officials emphasized that the detections reflect the effectiveness of enhanced monitoring. “I think what it does signal is that the enhanced surveillance that we've been doing is working, and, of course, our enhanced messaging to the public that they need to report these birds, because this was found and detected on the beach,” said NSW chief veterinary officer Joanne Coombe. Australian chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson added that “the risk to human health remained low.” NSW Acting Minister for Agriculture Yasmin Catley noted the case “demonstrates the government’s increased and targeted surveillance and monitoring program is working as intended.” Both Queensland and NSW agencies said surveillance operations will continue for at least four weeks to cover the virus’s incubation period.
Practical Guidance for Backyard Poultry
With no H5 vaccine currently available in Australia, authorities urged owners of backyard and commercial poultry to minimise contact with wild birds. “Unfortunately there's no vaccine available in Australia,” said Tina Clifton, senior veterinary policy officer with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. She recommended clean footwear and clothing, netting, fencing and roofing to prevent exposure to wild-bird droppings or contaminated water.
Data Summary
- Total confirmed or presumed H5 detections in Australia: 15
- Positive cases in NSW: 2 giant petrels (both found on beaches)
- Positive cases in Queensland: 0 (most recent test negative)
- Confirmed H5 presence in native birds: none to date; only one native tern case reported in South Australia
- Ongoing surveillance planned for an additional four weeks in NSW.
