Current situation
New South Wales is responding to a confirmed detection of H5 bird flu in a giant petrel found near Hawks Nest. This is the first confirmed detection of H5 bird flu in NSW.
The NSW Government is working in collaboration with other jurisdictions and the Australian Government, with increased surveillance now underway.
At this stage, bird flu has not been detected in commercial poultry flocks, captive birds or any other birds in NSW. There is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife or spread to other animals.
For confirmed cases in other states, visit Bird flu (Avian influenza) - DAFF
This strain of avian influenza has had significant impacts overseas, causing widespread mortality in poultry, wild birds and some mammals.
It is important that we all continue to remain vigilant and report any sick or dead poultry, wild birds or wildlife.
If you see sick or dead birds or other animals, do not touch them.
Avoid contact. Record what you see. Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia.
Australia has well-established national response arrangements in place to respond to animal disease incidents, including H5 bird flu.
The NSW Government is reminding poultry producers that on-farm biosecurity practices are crucial to protect the health of their flocks.
For more information, visit Bird flu (Avian influenza) - DAFF.
What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza is a viral disease of birds that is found globally. Virus strains are described as low pathogenicity (LPAI) or high pathogenicity (HPAI). High pathogenicity H5N1 avian influenza (H5 bird flu) is currently impacting all parts of the world and has recently been confirmed for the first time in Australia.
H5 bird flu differs from other avian influenza strains and has caused mass mortalities in poultry and many wild birds overseas, as well as some mammals, particularly marine mammals.
While NSW has responded to HPAI H7 detections in the past, until recently, there has never been a detection of H5 bird flu in NSW.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD), in partnership with the Australian Government, leads the response to any detection of H5 bird flu in NSW. NSW DPIRD has strengthened surveillance and biosecurity preparedness through additional resources focused on early detection, while also delivering targeted awareness activities to support community reporting and industry preparedness.
Despite this, it is important that we all continue to remain vigilant and report any sick or dead poultry, wild birds or wildlife.
H5 bird flu:
- spreads more easily than other bird flu strains
- can kill large numbers of poultry, wild birds and some mammals
- has no effective treatment
- usually leads to poor outcomes for infected birds and mammals
NSW has been preparing for a possible outbreak of H5 bird flu in Australia and is continuing to work to enhance response capabilities. This includes considering the potential impacts to animals, people and our ecosystems.
