August 13, 2026 | 02:06 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Tasmania has confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu after a brown skua was found dead on the state’s northwest coast, authorities said.
The detection makes Tasmania the sixth Australian state to report the virus, after cases were recorded in the other five states. The virus was first detected in mainland Australia in Western Australia in June.
Single Case Detected
Testing completed overnight confirmed the brown skua was infected with H5N1. The bird was found at Burgess Cove near Rocky Cape by Parks and Wildlife Service staff conducting active surveillance along Tasmania’s coastline.
Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said the detection involved a single bird and was not considered an outbreak at this stage.
“We have had a positive detection, but I want to be clear that there is no evidence of an outbreak and there is no detection in commercial poultry at this time,” Primary Industries and Water Minister Gavin Pearce said, as quoted by ABC Australia.
“I want to reassure Tasmanians that we are prepared to respond added.
Brown skuas are migratory seabirds that breed on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands and regularly visit Tasmanian waters. The first H5N1 case detected in Australia, in Western Australia, was also found in a brown skua.
Authorities are conducting further testing to determine where the Tasmanian bird contracted the virus.
Protecting Endangered Birds
Tasmania has also stepped up preparations to protect native wildlife that could be vulnerable to H5N1.
According to ABC Australia, Environment Minister Guy Barnett said the virus posed a significant threat to the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot. The government plans to vaccinate about 350 captive birds once the required approval is granted.
The species had a wild population of only 88 individuals last year, making its conservation particularly dependent on captive breeding and carefully timed releases.
Australian Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Julie Collins said Tuesday, August 11, that the federal government had secured 1,500 doses of an H5N1 vaccine as an initial supply for high-risk birds in captivity.
Tasmania has conducted aerial surveys covering more than 980 kilometers of coastline as part of its early detection efforts.
Authorities have urged residents to report sick or dead birds and wildlife to help strengthen the state’s biosecurity response.
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