A migratory brown skua found in Western Australia’s Cape Le Grand National Park has tested positive for H5N1 bird flu. Authorities confirmed the result on Saturday. It is the first mainland case in Australia, and it means the virus has now reached every continent.
A giant petrel found in the same area is also suspected of carrying the infection, according to Al Jazeera.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to reporters in Sydney. “This is concerning,” he said, adding that his government would do “whatever we can to restrict any spread.”
Australia had been the last continent without a confirmed mainland case. The virus did turn up in late 2025 on Heard Island, a sub-Antarctic territory about 4,100km (2,550 miles) from the mainland, but the skua is the first detection on the mainland itself.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the virus had not yet been found in Australia’s poultry or agriculture sector. “We all knew we couldn’t be bird flu-free forever,” she said.
Human infections remain rare. The highly pathogenic strain has nonetheless forced the culling of hundreds of millions of birds around the world in recent years, which has disrupted food supplies and pushed up prices.
Sources
- Australia pledges action on H5N1 after bird flu case confirmed
- Australia pledges action on H5N1 after bird flu case confirmed
