Australia has entered a new phase in dealing with the incursion of deadly H5N1 bird flu, with authorities confirming local transmission of the highly virulent strain. Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins announced on Wednesday that 11 new suspected detections were reported in South Australian birds, bringing the total number of confirmed detections to 27. According to Collins, the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases has agreed that some local transmission has occurred between greater crested terns resident in South Australia.
Dr. Beth Cookson, Australia’s chief veterinary officer, stated that genetic sequencing showed all confirmed cases detected to date were related to sub-Antarctic strains of the virus. The risk of bird flu spreading to wildlife on Kangaroo Island is a major concern, particularly for the Australian sea lion population at Seal Bay. Conservationists have expressed fears for the sea lion population, with Alexia Wellbelove from the Australian Marine Conservation Society stating that Australian sea lions are now on the frontline of the potential wildlife crisis.
The Australian sea lion population has seen a decline of 60% over four decades, with only about 12,000 remaining. In South America, the virus killed 30,000 sea lion pups in just six months following transmission from birds to marine mammals. On our own Heard Island, it killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups in a single season.
The federal government has invested more than $113m in preparing for the virus’s arrival and has released a further $24m for action. Groups including the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Invasive Species Council have called on the federal government to establish a $200m national wildlife resilience fund, focused on emergency protection and recovery for our most at-risk species. Worldwide, the H5N1 variant has caused unprecedented levels of ongoing outbreaks, killing millions of wild birds and tens of thousands of mammals.
In Australia, more than 150 native bird species have been assessed as being at very high risk of extinction or major decline if they are infected, including the red goshawk, fairy tern, plains-wanderer, shy albatross, black swan, and western hooded plover. More than 10 mammal species are at very high risk, including the Australian sea lion, the subantarctic fur seal, and the Australian fur seal. There could also be significant impacts on the poultry industry, with an estimated 140m farmed birds having died or been culled globally since January last year.
In the United States, the virus was linked to a 220% spike in egg prices in the first quarter of 2025. Western Australia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that if the virus were to reach commercial flocks, it could push egg prices above $10 a carton. Mass culls could be necessary, and the RSPCA has called for fast-tracked research into more humane killing methods, such as the use of nitrogen in gas or foam.
Human-to-human transmission of the virus is not common, but since 2003, there have been 1,000 reported cases of H5N1 in humans globally, with a 48% fatality rate.
