Together we can help minimise the impacts of H5 bird flu on our people, wildlife and farms.
If you notice sick or dead birds or other animals showing signs of bird flu, you should not touch them or get too close. Record your location and report multiple sick or dead birds or other animals to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Data current as of 4.00pm AEST, 14 August 2026.
*Positive events
Hotline reports
*From 12 August 2026, we have changed how we report on H5 bird flu detections. Reporting will be based on events, rather than individual bird detections, where an event may involve one or more birds. The new number of positive events captures all previously reported individual confirmed detections.
H5 bird flu is a serious, highly contagious strain of bird flu that has been circulating globally.
All detections in Australia to date have been in wild birds.
There have been no detections in poultry or the wider agriculture industry.
The risk to human health remains low.
What is bird flu and how does it spread.
Staying safe when handling birds.
Information for wildlife carers and how the community can help protect Australia's unique wildlife.
On-farm biosecurity measures for producers.
Vets play a critical role in early detection and reporting of bird flu.
Simple steps you can take to help protect your backyard poultry and other birds.
Australia is well prepared to respond to H5 bird flu and has well-established national response arrangements in place.
See how we have prepared for bird flu
We are helping to protect Australia’s most at-risk species and important natural places.
Whether you keep one chicken or a whole flock, Poultry Post is your go-to newsletter for biosecurity tips, H5 bird flu updates and expert advice to keep your birds safe.
Friday, 14 August
Testing at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) in a wild brown skua at Burgess Cove in Rocky Cape National Park, north-western Tasmania.
Monday, 10 August
Testing at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed a further 11 positive detections in South Australia.
Sunday, 9 August
Testing at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed a further 5 positive detections of H5 bird flu in South Australia, all in greater crested terns at Carpenter Rocks, on the Limestone Coast.
As of 8pm AEST, 11 August 2026, Australia has 236 confirmed detections of H5 bird flu in wild birds.
Individual detection numbers are no longer the most meaningful indicator of the situation. Identifying significant developments, including new detection locations, new species affected, or other major events will remain critical. Event-based reporting will commence soon.
This is the serious H5 bird flu strain that has been circulating globally.
There have been no detections in poultry or the wider agriculture industry.
The Consultative Committee for Emergency Animal Disease (CCEAD) has reviewed its previous advice and endorsed a framework on national poultry biosecurity measures that will commence from 31 July. Under this framework, state and territory governments are responsible for issuing advice on biosecurity measures using a risk-based approach.
State and territory governments are responsible for surveillance and response activities on the ground. They are actively working with industry to provide guidance on implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures, as appropriate. Find out more about bird flu in your state or territory.
National coordination is being led by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
The risk to human health remains low.
Australia is well prepared to respond quickly.
If you notice sick or dead birds or other animals showing signs of bird flu, you should not touch them or get too close. Record your location and report multiple sick or dead birds or other animals to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
As H5 bird flu is confirmed in more locations and species in Australia it will not be necessary to continue testing all species in known areas of transmission, or to test every bird involved in an investigation. Reporting will be targeted to provide a clear picture of the national H5 bird flu situation in wildlife in Australia and key developments.
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Disclaimer
Data reflects information provided by state and territory governments to the Australian Government as at 17:00 AEST daily. The Australian Government publishes this information for national reporting purposes. Responsibility for the accuracy, completeness and currency of the data remains with the relevant state or territory government. Due to differences in reporting timing, information on the national dashboard may differ from information published on state or territory government websites.
