Western Australia H5N1 bird flu detection prompts alerts in Australia, New Zealand

Two dead wild seabirds—a brown skua and a northern giant petrel—tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza strain near Esperance in Western Australia in mid‑June. The virus has not been found in commercial poultry, but authorities have escalated biosecurity measures. Australia’s Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the country cannot stop the virus from arriving, noting more than $100 million has been invested in preparedness. Inghams Group, the state’s largest egg producer, placed all its WA farms and processing sites under a lockdown, restricted non‑essential access and is seeking a regional housing order to keep free‑range birds indoors.

New Zealand’s poultry industry responded by placing producers on high alert. Fiona MacMillan, executive director of the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand, urged farmers to follow biosecurity advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries. The sector, worth about NZ$1.5 billion for chicken meat and NZ$500 million for eggs, is preparing for a possible incursion despite the country remaining free of H5N1. Both governments emphasized low risk to human health and the importance of monitoring wild bird deaths and reporting to animal disease hotlines.