Australia reports 231 H5 detections in wild birds

Australia’s national bird-flu dashboard recorded 231 H5 detections in wild birds as of 1:00 pm AEST on 10 August 2026. It separately listed 42 confirmed events. Those figures answer different questions, and neither represents every animal affected. Australia first detected the globally circulating H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in wild seabirds in June; officials later confirmed it in a resident greater crested tern.

What the national count actually measures

The federal update describes 231 confirmed or presumed-positive detections based on tested samples: 163 in South Australia, 53 in Victoria, 10 in Western Australia, four in New South Wales and one in Queensland. Some early samples were treated as presumed positive when sequencing could not be completed. A confirmed event, meanwhile, is an incident in which laboratory testing confirms H5. One event can include more than one detection, so the 42 events and 231 detections are not interchangeable. Sampling follows reports and targeted surveillance, making the figures a changing snapshot rather than a census of wild populations.

What changed in South Australia on 10 August

On 10 August, confirmatory testing added 11 South Australian seabirds: one cormorant at Carpenter Rocks; greater crested terns at Port MacDonnell, Beachport, D’Estrees Bay, Seal Bay and Port Vincent; and a silver gull at Glenelg. These birds had already been classed as suspect detections. Another 35 suspect detections were awaiting laboratory results and were not part of the 163 confirmed South Australian detections.

Baudin Rocks shows why detections are not the toll

The first confirmed H5 mass-mortality event in Australian wildlife was reported at Baudin Rocks on 4 August, after an investigation of more than 80 sick or dead wild birds. Six samples from the site were positive, but officials did not test every animal because that was unnecessary to identify the cause of the event. Consequently, a detection count is neither a death count nor a complete estimate of the outbreak’s impact.

What the findings mean for human health

Authorities reported no detections in poultry or Australia’s agricultural production system. The Australian Centre for Disease Control assessed the risk to people as low and reported no human infections with this clade in Australia. Infection in people is rare but can be severe, so “low risk” is a reason to follow exposure advice—not to handle a sick bird.

Safe reporting protects wildlife and people

In Australia, follow three steps: avoid contact, record the location and observations from a safe distance, then report sick or dead wildlife to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888. Do not touch, move or attempt to rescue a sick or dead wild bird yourself. Keep children and pets away, keep dogs leashed and cats from roaming, avoid feeding wild birds, and clean footwear and clothing between wildlife areas. Outside Australia, contact the relevant local animal-health or wildlife authority.