23 August 2026

Testing at CSIRO´s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) in a long-nosed fur seal, found at Beachport in South Australia. This is the first detection of H5 bird flu in a mammal species in Australia.

Although this is a concerning development, it is not unexpected that H5 bird flu has been detected in other wildlife, particularly marine mammals, in areas where there are high levels of infection in wild birds.

From 12 August 2026, we have changed how we report on H5 bird flu detections. Reporting will be based on events, rather than individual detections. See birdflu.gov.au for the latest information.

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

The risk to human health remains low.