Wildlife authorities on alert to spread of H5N1 bird flu in Australia

The H5N1 strain of high pathogenicity avian influenza has killed millions of wild birds and farmed poultry worldwide, and has also spread to marine mammals, killing tens of thousands of animals including elephant seals and sea lions.

Until confirmation in late June of Australia’s first case of the virus in Western Australia, Australia had remained the only continent free of the virus. Cases have now been confirmed in multiple states.

The arrival of H5N1 has sparked extinction fears for Australia’s bird populations, as well as threatened mammals potentially susceptible to the virus. But Dr Tiggy Grillo, the chief operating officer of Wildlife Health Australia, which coordinates the national avian influenza wild bird surveillance program and has received funding from the Australian Government to help prepare Australia for H5N1’s arrival, says a widespread outbreak is not yet inevitable.

“It [the H5N1 virus] has come through a pathway from the south that sees infrequent arrivals of these birds onto the shores of Australia. And so, we are hoping that these are isolated events, but time will tell,” Dr Grillo told Australian Geographic.

“A lot of government and non-government agencies have worked very hard over the last two years to develop site-specific and species-specific plans. Avian influenza impacts on potentially lots of different elements, from agriculture through to wildlife, our food supply chain and human health, including mental health. And all of those elements have been considered as part of preparedness and are really coming into action now.”

Wildlife Health Australia explained to Australian Geographic in 2025 that three potential pathways for H5N1 to enter Australia had been identified: the long-distance annual migration of birds from countries already infected with H5N1; the movement of ducks and other waterfowl between Australia and countries to Australia’s north; and animals coming via the Antarctic region to Australia’s south, as was the case with Australia’s first confirmed cases. Dr Grillo says all three potential routes must still be monitored.

“We always need to think about those three pathways, especially as we move into the migratory spring season,” Dr Grillo says. “We know there are millions of shore birds arriving in spring each year, and if they are coming from areas where the virus is present then there is a higher number of possibilities that another bird might arrive.”

Growing fears for Australian wildlife

BirdLife Australia’s Avian Influenza Response Coordinator, Tanya Loos, says the organisation is worried about the potential for H5N1 to spread across Australia, particularly if seabirds that die of H5N1 bird flu on remote beaches are eaten by scavenging species that then pass the virus on.

“It’s a really rapidly evolving situation. At this early stage we are calling for calm as outbreaks in other parts of the world have played out in very different ways. Having said that, everyone is very concerned, particularly looking at the mass mortality that we have seen overseas,” Tanya says.

“We know that waterbirds, seabirds and scavengers are most at risk, but we can’t actually make a judgement call right now about what species are likely to be most affected because the nature of avian influenza is that it evolves all the time and it presents differently in different populations.

“We want to emphasise that healthy bird populations have the greatest opportunity to withstand the virus. Birds need us now more than ever to protect them and their habitats.”

That sentiment is echoed by the Invasive Species Council, a non-government conservation advocacy organisation that’s calling for the Australian Government to spend an extra $200 million over the next two years to improve the resilience of vulnerable bird and mammal populations, with a focus on tackling invasive species and habitat destruction.

“So far we have been very pleased by the seriousness of the response and the rapidity of it,” says the Invasive Species Council’s policy director, Dr Carol Booth.

“Probably our main concern is that if this turns into an established disease and we get multiple outbreaks, that the current resources we have, particularly in terms of staff in biosecurity in environmental agencies, will be stretched.

“Wildlife species are already so much under pressure from other threats that a new disease to which they are immunologically naive could really tip them closer to extinction, if not to extinction.

“We know we can’t stop the spread of bird flu in wildlife populations. In reality, the best approach we have to ensure that species survive and recover from bird flu outbreaks is to reduce other threats.”

H5N1’s arrival threatens millennia of First Nations connection to birds

Monash University Associate Professor Dr Bhiamie Williamson, a Euahlayi man who is the program lead of the University’s National Indigenous Disaster Resilience research program, says birds feature in the ceremonies, stories and traditional diets of many First Nations peoples.

“Any threats or disruptions to Australia’s bird populations – like species of swans, magpie geese, emu populations and migratory birds as well – will have distinct impacts on our communities and our ability to connect with Country and practise culture,” Dr Williamson told Australian Geographic.

“In a lot of areas, because of colonisation, urbanisation, climate change and different land-use patterns, the geography of Australia’s bird population has changed drastically over the last 200 years. Because of that there has already been a lot of cultural disruption for groups who don’t have access to keystone species. And so, while we are worried about overall extinction threats, the more significant and present worry in a lot of cases is actually the threat of local extinction events.

“The central challenge of maintaining culture, cultural continuity and the ways of life of Indigenous peoples is really under threat.”

Avoid, record, report

Wildlife authorities and advocates say the public has an important part to play in quickly reporting any potential cases of H5N1, but they’re urging people to remain safe by avoiding sick or dead animals; recording the date, time and location of what they’ve found along with some photos or videos; and reporting any unusual illness or death in wild birds and other wildlife to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

University of Queensland Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology and BiosecurityProfessor Ricardo Soares Magalhães told Australian Geographic cases of animal-to-human transmission remain rare globally, but the H5N1 virus can be fatal to humans.

“Based on the information we have, these are individuals that had very close contact with the birds. Fortunately, the virus has not been able to adapt sufficiently to human cells, which is great news. And we want to keep it like that,” Ricardo says.

“Staying away from sick birds and maintaining good personal protective equipment is the best way to prevent severe infection.”

A spokesperson for the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry told Australian Geographic that, “There is no evidence of mass mortality in native species at this time, and it isn’t present in our poultry or agriculture production systems. The focus now is on understanding the current situation to determine whether there has been any infection of non-migratory birds.

“Australia is well prepared to respond to bird flu and has committed more than $113 million in preparedness efforts.These investments have significantly strengthened our national preparedness and response capability, placing Australia in a strong position to respond quickly and effectively.”