H5N1 · High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza
Tracking bird flu down the flyway.
In June 2026, H5N1 reached Australian wild birds for the first time, carried down the Southern Ocean flyway by migrating seabirds. Every official detection in Australia, mapped where it happened and listed as it is reported, with the wider world for context.
Recent detections
| Date ▾ | Type | Strain | Country | State / region | Locality | Affected | Source |
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About this tracker
This is an independent, public-interest tracker of avian influenza (bird flu) in Australia, with the wider world for context. It brings official detections into one map and list so anyone can see where the virus is being found, in wild birds, poultry, mammals and people. H5N1 is highlighted; the 2024 to 2025 H7 outbreaks in poultry are shown as historical context.
Australian detections come automatically from the FAO EMPRES-i+ animal disease system, which aggregates the official WOAH notifications Australian agencies issue. United States wild-bird detections come from USDA APHIS, and global human-case figures from the WHO via Our World in Data. Data refreshes daily. A small set of well-documented human cases is maintained by hand. Sources are listed below, and every detection links back to its source.
Data sources
Notes and caveats
- “First detection” refers to Australian wild birds. A separate possible incursion at sub-Antarctic Heard Island, an external territory, was reported in late 2025 and is not counted here.
- Coordinates follow the source. Some events are placed at a town or region; a few resolve only to a state.
- Not every Western Australian detection is itemised in public data, so counts follow what official sources publish.
Not medical advice. Figures are aggregated from public reports and may lag or be revised by the source agencies. The risk to the general public is currently assessed as low by Australian authorities. For guidance, consult the Australian CDC, DAFF, or your state health department. To report sick or dead wild birds, call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.