Australia reports 1st suspected mainland case of H5N1 avian influenza

The first suspected mainland case of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in Western Australia, authorities said on Friday. Initial testing on a single migratory bird found sick in southern WA returned a suspected positive result, with samples sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for confirmatory testing, and results expected on Saturday. Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins called for calm, noting that if confirmed, the finding would be sobering but not unexpected given the virus’s global spread. The government has also allocated 11.2 million AUD in additional outbreak preparedness funding, bringing total support to 113 million AUD ($79.2 million). H5N1 outbreaks have occurred on every continent except the Australian mainland since 2020, and the virus was previously detected on Heard and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.

The federal government convened a meeting of states, territories and experts to discuss response measures and surveillance, while Australians were urged to report multiple sick or dead birds from a distance. The new funding aims to bolster protection for native species against a potential outbreak, underscoring ongoing global vigilance against the highly pathogenic strain.