Bird flu has reached Australia. Now what?
· 19 min
Episode Bird flu has reached Australia. Now what?
The first cases of H5N1 bird flu have been confirmed following the discovery and rescue of a sick bird on a remote beach in Western Australia.
Since then more sick birds have been reported, with authorities stressing the safest approach is to take a photo and notify them.
While the risk of bird to human transmission is low, there have been almost one thousand cases of H5N1 bird flu in humans since 2003.
So what happens now?
Further information:
• Bird flu (avian influenza) CDC • Human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza • An overview of influenza H5 vaccines • Science Show: Preparing for the next pandemic • Vet chanced upon sick bird that turned out to be first H5 bird flu case
Links in the notes 5
- https://www.cdc.gov.au/diseases/bird-flu-avian-influenza#:~:text=If%20you%20find%20sick%20or,Hotline%20on%201800%20675%20888.
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03905-2
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(25)00052-9/fulltext
- https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/scienceshow/preparing-for-the-next-pandemic/106686128
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-21/bird-flu-h5-first-case-australia-vet-found-esperance-beach/106823550?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link
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