Bird Flu in Australia - October 2026
As of 30 September 2026, Australia had 676 confirmed events of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b) in wildlife, involving over 40 species. Several species of marine mammal have died as a result of H5N1 infection. All states and territories, and the Federal Government are now reporting ‘events’, where an event is one or more species on the same day at the same location. This reporting format obscures the numbers of individuals involved – some events have involved hundreds of birds.
The reporting of H5N1 in Australia is now constrained to new species and/or in new locations, and/or if a mass mortality event occurs, further reducing the granularity of the data available to assess and analyse the scale, magnitude, spatial extent and temporal duration and impacts of H5N1 HPAI on Australian wildlife. Repeated infections in an area where H5N1 had been previously reported are no longer being reported.
State Governments are now exercising varying degrees of triage in their testing of individuals reported by the community. For example, in Tasmania, only c.14% of reports from the public result in the collection and testing of the suspected case. Whether government agencies are simply ascribing all reported deaths to H5N1 or not is unknown. The granularity of information on H5N1 in Australia is particularly poor, as the testing regime varies among states, limiting comparisons and analyses. Over time, the quantum of information on H5N1 is Australia is becoming less detailed and with increasing gaps in testing and reporting. It will be impossible to undertake critical analyses of the arrival, spread and species involved as the required data are not being collected.
As of October 2, 2026, DAFF H5 Bird Flu Latest Data reports 682 confirmed H5 events in Australian wildlife across six states and territories. These events comprise South Australia (325), Victoria (230), New South Wales (68), Tasmania (46), Western Australia (10), Queensland (2) and ACT (1). South Australia and western Victoria continue to record high numbers as other states’ reports decrease.
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has released a new fact sheet on 'Protecting priority native birds from H5 bird flu', which describes Australia's targeted vaccination strategy to help protect threatened and conservation-dependent bird populations at high risk from H5 bird flu. Vaccinations have been largely directed towards captive populations, but 5000 Little Penguins were vaccinated on Phillip Island, Victoria in September.
State and Federal environment ministers recently met and adopted a position that H5N1 HPAI is now established in Australia, reflecting the expected persistence within native species ‘reservoirs’. Experiences elsewhere have seen annual recurrences of H5N1, particularly in breeding seasons when congregations occur and the virus can be transmitted.
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