27 June 2026

Testing at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) in a giant petrel in Western Australia.

This detection marks the fourth wild migratory seabird in Australia to return a positive result for H5 bird flu, with two others confirmed in Western Australia and one in South Australia.

Western Australian has also reported a further suspect positive detection, in a giant petrel found at Roses Beach, west of Esperance, with samples sent for confirmatory testing at CSIRO’s ACDP.