Bird flu (avian influenza)

The Australian Government is preparing for a highly contagious strain of bird flu that is not in Australia but has spread quickly across the world. Learn more about the Government’s preparations at www.birdflu.gov.au.

Report unusual signs of disease or mass bird deaths. Immediately contact the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

image of bird in long grass — Magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata)

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a contagious viral disease that can affect both domestic and wild birds.

It is caused by influenza A viruses, like those that cause human flu.

Many kinds of bird flu have no obvious symptoms and cause no or only very mild illness.

However, high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, commonly known as H5 avian influenza (bird flu), is a serious and contagious strain of bird flu. Overseas, this strain has killed millions of wild birds and tens of thousands of wild mammals.

Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific are currently free of this highly infectious bird flu. It is a threat to our wildlife, ecosystems and threatened species.

Migratory birds can carry diseases very long distances. These birds are on the move and share habitats with other native species.

If this strain of bird flu spreads to Australia, our native species may face long term population setbacks or even push species towards extinction.

Threatened species like Australian sealions, and species that use a single breeding or roosting location like the Christmas Island frigatebird and Abbott’s booby, are at high risk of significant impacts.

Susceptible threatened species are a high priority for preparedness action.

This strain also has the potential to have a significant impact on species that are not currently threatened, increasing the risks for more common species.

Work underway

We are preparing for the possible arrival of H5 bird flu. We are working with and supporting other Australian Government departments, state and territory governments and key conservation partners to protect our wildlife.

We are supporting and encouraging site-specific and species-specific preparedness and response planning. This includes planning within Commonwealth-managed or jointly managed estates like our national parks and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The development of a wildlife H5 bird flu susceptibility analysis will be key to guiding the prioritisation of preparedness and response actions for native wildlife.

We are also working with conservation partners and states and territories on their response arrangements. In the event of an outbreak, state and territory governments will carry out response activities within their borders.

Supporting preparedness

We are investing $35.9 million to strengthen and accelerate H5 bird flu preparedness planning and protective action.

This will help protect Australia’s most at-risk species and important natural places, using the best information available.

The investment includes:

$7.1 million to support wildlife susceptibility and disease spread analysis and decision support tools, to:
- identify high-risk species and areas
- identify the actions we can take to protect them
- increase surveillance across wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin and our remote island parks
- support preparedness in Commonwealth national parks while keeping our on-ground staff safe.
$28.8 million for preparedness and response planning, and practical actions for priority species in captivity and in nature. This includes:
- developing plans to reduce the spread and impact of the virus on vulnerable wildlife
- strengthening biosecurity and protection for threatened species in captivity
- building resilience for at-risk species by addressing other threats, such as exotic rodents preying on seabirds in targeted locations.

This investment is part of a more than $100 million Australian Government commitment to tackle H5 bird flu.

It includes other One Health initiatives aimed at boosting our preparedness across biodiversity, agriculture and human health, including:

$10 million to support coordinated communications
$7 million to improve Wildlife Health Australia’s surveillance activities
$5 million to boost biosecurity and scientific capability including vaccines to protect vulnerable threatened species.

Read more about the Australian Government’s integrated package supporting Australia’s avian influenza preparedness and response.

The best way to protect our native wildlife is to ensure strong, healthy populations across their range. This means continuing, and where possible increasing, efforts to support species recovery and reduce other threats.

This investment complements our existing programs, including:

What you can do to help

Never handle or remove dead birds and wildlife, or those with suspected bird flu.

Be safe when entering wildlife areas and keep your distance if you see sick or dead birds.

We are asking everyone to:

Avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife and their environment. Do not allow pets to touch or eat sick or dead wildlife.
Record what you see, the location the animal was found, and take photos or video.
Report any unusual sickness or mass mortality events in wildlife via the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888. Reporting will alert authorities to the event so they can evaluate the need for diagnostic testing or other investigation. Even if testing is not undertaken, all reports help inform our understanding of the disease and how to manage it.

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease so you must report if you have a reasonable suspicion that birds are infected.

Reporting

Identifying H5 bird flu early will help to protect our native species.

Immediately report any unusual deaths or activity relating to poultry or wild birds. This will support an effective and timely response, helping to reduce the spread and protect our vulnerable wildlife.

If you see sick or dead birds or wildlife do not touch them.

Keep watch for unusual signs of disease or mass mortalities in domesticated birds, wild birds or other wildlife. Symptoms include:

a lack of coordination, tremors, swimming in circles
twisted neck or other abnormal posture
inability to stand or fly
diarrhoea
difficulty breathing, coughing or sneezing
swelling around the head, neck and eyes
cloudiness or change in colour of the eyes
sudden death.

Call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 immediately.

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease so you must report if you have a reasonable suspicion that birds are infected.

Other ways to help

While H5 bird flu has not yet arrived in Australia, you can take action now to support and protect our unique wildlife.

Simple steps to help:

Keep pets away from wildlife
- Prevent cats from roaming. Always keep dogs on leash, especially in areas with native wildlife.
Volunteer
- Take part in habitat restoration activities to improve local habitats. Activities include revegetating, weeding or removing rubbish from local natural areas.
Donate to conservation efforts
- Support organisations focused on conserving or recovering threatened wildlife and places or addressing invasive species impacts.
Plant native vegetation
- Plant local native species in your garden providing natural habitat and a food source for wildlife. Avoid supplementary feeding, as this can increase the spread of diseases among birds.
Participate in bird surveys and contribute to citizen science projects:
- Join local bird-watching groups or programs such as the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. This helps scientists keep track of bird species across the country.
- Use platforms like BirdLife Australia’s Birdata and the Atlas of Living Australia to record bird observations. This contributes to a better understanding of bird health and population trends.
Keep footwear and clothing clean
- When visiting national parks, nature reserves or agricultural areas keep shoes and clothes clean. This reduces the risk of disease spreading between places.