4 August 2026

Testing at CSIRO´s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed further positive results in South Australia, bringing the total to 81 in South Australia. This includes detections in Limestone Coast (Southend, Robe and Baudin Rocks), Kangaroo Island (Harriet River, Seal Bay, Vivonne Bay and D´Estrees Bay), Coorong, Glenelg, Troubridge Island and The Pages Islands. It also includes 6 from Baudin Rocks, comprising 5 greater crested terns and 1 silver gull.

The Baudin Rocks detection follows an investigation into over 80 sick or dead wild birds, and is the first confirmed mass mortality event in wildlife in Australia due to H5 bird flu.

In line with overseas experience and recent events within Australia, a mass mortality event is not unexpected. It follows evidence of some local transmission between a smaller number of wild birds in South Australia.

There has also been one further positive result from Portland in Victoria at this stage, through testing at its state laboratory.

There have now been 102 confirmed or presumed positive detections of H5 bird flu in Australia, based on samples tested. With the mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks, not all sick or dead wild birds were sampled as this is not necessary to determine whether the event was due to H5 bird flu.

There remain no detections in poultry or in our agricultural production system.

The risk to human health remains low.