August 6th, 2026H5 bird flu update

Surveillance activities continue across Victoria following the detection of H5 bird flu in wild birds along the state’s south west coastline.

Preliminary testing at Victoria’s state lab, AgriBio, has identified 33 further suspect cases of H5 bird flu, including 30 greater crested terns, one gull, one inconclusive magpie and one unidentified bird. Samples are now undergoing further confirmatory testing at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

The 33 suspect cases are in addition to the 7 already confirmed cases in Victoria.

These suspect cases are the result of community reports and aerial and on-ground surveillance along the south west coast that took place over the weekend.

The growing cases indicate that H5 bird flu is present in the crested tern population in the region, and the community can expect to see an increase in the number of sick or dead terns in the coming weeks.