H5 Bird Flu Detected in Australian Wildlife for the First Time

Australia confirmed H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza in a wild brown skua seabird in Western Australia on 20 June 2026—the first mainland detection. The clade 2.3.4.4b strain, which has decimated seabird colonies globally, reached Australia's isolated wildlife through a migratory bird now deceased. Federal agriculture minister Julie Collins announced the discovery, activating enhanced surveillance and biosecurity protocols.