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.

A total of 16 dead or sick birds have been found in WA since, but Watt said it was unclear whether that was related to bird flu or “the many other reasons that birds die every single day.”

“At this point, there’s no need for alarm that this has become a more widespread incident beyond those two birds,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“We know that bird flu can not only impact on birds, but also mammals as well.

“The ones that we’re most concerned about are our most endangered species, whether it be particular types of birds, [and] the Australian sea lion.”

The minister also said the poultry industry was less likely to be impacted than Australia’s native wildlife.

Meanwhile, federal and state politicians met with farmers and industry representatives over the weekend to discuss the bird flu situation.

Until the weekend, Australia was the only continent not to have been affected by the H5N1 bird flu strain.

The Labor government has set aside up to $113 million (US$79.3 million) over recent years for bird flu preparedness, with a strong focus on protecting Australia’s wild bird populations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told media the government had been planning for the day H5N1 would come to mainland Australia.

“What we’re about is making sure, firstly, that we do whatever we can to restrict the spread,” he said.

“We, of course, always examine these issues carefully. We have prepared for it.

“This is something that has happened through migratory birds. It’s happened, by definition, around the world, and that is why we’ve been preparing for this.”

The government also said there had been no detections in poultry and no evidence of mortalities in other species.

The detection does not change Australia’s status as free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry in accordance with international standards.

Late last year, the government downplayed the risk of H5N1 bird flu reaching mainland Australia after the disease spread through the elephant seal population, causing a “mass mortality event” on the sub-Antarctic territory of Heard Island.

The disease is estimated to have killed more than 13,000 southern elephant seal pups.

The island is about 4,000 kilometres from Perth, but seabirds can cover vast distances, with some migrating as far as 15,000 kilometres annually.

At the time, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said if the strain of bird flu were to come to Australia, it would be via migratory birds.

Bird Flu Symptoms in Animals and Humans

Common signs of bird flu in wild birds can include unsteadiness, a puff-up appearance, breathing issues, strange posture and sudden death.

Chickens may experience a drop in egg production, lethargy and lack of appetite, swelling, bruised extremities, breathing issues, runny nose and sudden death.

In mammals, like cows and cats, symptoms can include weakness, trouble walking and breathing, seizures, walking in circles, runny nose or drooling and sudden death.

The disease spreads through birds’ bodily fluids, droppings and feathers. It can also spread through clothing, shoes, vehicles and items like egg cartons if they have come into contact with contaminated material.

The spread of the disease to humans is considered rare, but symptoms in humans can include fever, cough, muscle aches, a runny nose, shortness of breath, headaches and eye infections.