Australia was the last continent free of H5N1 bird flu. That changed on June 20, when officials confirmed the virus in a seabird. The sick bird, a brown skua, was found near Esperance in Western Australia. This discovery means the deadly virus has now reached every continent.
The bird was found in Cape Le Grand National Park on June 14. Authorities quickly isolated the bird and collected samples for testing. A national laboratory confirmed the H5N1 strain six days later. Officials also reported a second suspected case in a giant petrel nearby.
Since 2021, H5N1 has caused a devastating global animal pandemic. Hundreds of millions of birds have been killed worldwide by the virus. It has also spread to mammals, including seals and other wildlife. On Australia's remote Heard Island, over 13,000 seal pups died from it.
Australia's Prime Minister called the situation concerning and promised strong action. The government has invested 113 million dollars in preparedness measures. Fortunately, no poultry farms have been affected, and human risk remains low. If the virus spread to local ducks, experts say the situation would become much worse.
