Australia pledges action on H5N1 after bird flu case confirmed
Key takeaways
- Tests confirm a migratory brown skua found in Western Australia had the virus.
- “This is concerning,” Albanese told reporters in Sydney, adding his government would do “whatever we can to restrict any spread”.
- Previously, Australia had been the only continent without a confirmed mainland case, although the virus was detected in late 2025 on Heard Island, a sub-Antarctic territory about 4,100km (2,550 miles) from the mainland.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Tests confirm a migratory brown skua found in Western Australia had the virus.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a news conference at Parliament House [File: Mick Tsikas/AAP via Reuters]By AFP and Reuters Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will do “whatever we can” to curb H5N1 bird flu after the first mainland case was confirmed in a seabird, which means the virus has now spread to every continent.
Tests confirmed a migratory brown skua found in Western Australia’s Cape Le Grand National Park had the deadly virus, authorities said on Saturday, and a giant petrel found in the same area was also suspected to be infected.