NSW records first bird flu cases in native Australian birds as surveillance expands
New South Wales has confirmed its first cases of H5 avian influenza in native Australian birds, after two greater crested terns were found dead in
New South Wales has confirmed its first cases of H5 avian influenza in native Australian birds, after two greater crested terns were found dead in separate parts of the state. The detections take NSW’s total bird flu cases to four.
One bird was picked up near Narooma on the Far South Coast. The other was found in Wentworth, close to the Victorian border. Both cases were reported by members of the public, then sampled by the NSW government’s H5 response team.
First native species detections
The cases matter because they are the first time H5 has been confirmed in Australian native species in NSW. Earlier cases in the state had been tied to migratory birds. This time, the virus turned up in local wildlife.
Authorities said surveillance is continuing in the affected areas to catch any further cases early. The aim is blunt: find it fast, before it spreads wider. That matters for wild birds, but also for farms watching the virus inch closer to the east coast.
Officials say the state is ready
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the positive cases were not unexpected and that the state had been preparing for this kind of development. “We remain well equipped to respond to manage further impacts,” she said.
She added that the government is using “the best available data and tools” to target action at wildlife species and natural places considered most at risk.
Tara Moriarty, the NSW Minister for Agriculture, said the government is working closely with the poultry industry to strengthen biosecurity measures and lower the risk of outbreaks. Farmers have already been advised to house poultry and stay alert for unusual wild bird deaths or sickness.
Pressure builds beyond NSW
The new detections come as Australia continues to track H5 cases in wildlife. NSW’s first suspected case was reported in early July, when a migratory giant petrel found near Hawks Nest on the state’s coast tested positive for H5. That case raised concern that the virus had reached the Australian east coast.
Across the country, the number of confirmed cases has climbed as outbreaks have been found in wild birds, including in Victoria. Authorities have urged the public to report dead or sick birds, and to avoid panic. The risk to humans has been described as low.
For now, the government is staying in field mode. More sampling. More checks. And more eyes on the ground. “These positive cases are not unexpected,” Sharpe said. “We have been preparing for a situation like this, and we remain well-equipped to respond to manage further impacts.”
