Minister Says ‘No Need for Alarm’ After H5N1 Bird Flu Detected on Australian Mainland

The discovery of the disease in a brown skua and a giant petrel over the weekend marks Australia’s first official detection of the H5N1 strain.

Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt speaks in the Senate Chamber at parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 3, 2025. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Environment Minister Murray Watt has said there is no need for alarm after the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu was detected in migratory seabirds near Esperance in Western Australia (WA).

The discovery of the disease in a brown skua and a giant petrel over the weekend marks the first official diagnosis of the H5 virus variant on the Australian mainland.