Deadly H5N1 bird flu case detected in Australian seabird for the first time

Australia has recorded its first confirmed case of the deadly H5 bird flu in local wildlife, after a resident seabird found on South Australia's coast tested positive for the virus, prompting authorities to step up surveillance amid concerns the disease may now be spreading within native bird populations.

Separately, a young fur seal found unwell at Blue Bay on New South Wales' Central Coast died on Thursday and is being tested for H5 bird flu as a precaution.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said on Friday that a greater crested tern, a common coastal seabird, had tested positive after it was found dead by a member of the public at Robe on South Australia's Limestone Coast.

"While this, of course, is a concerning development, it is not unexpected and is another sign that our strong biosecurity system is working," Collins said.

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Until now, confirmed cases of H5 bird flu in Australia had been limited to migratory subantarctic seabirds, primarily giant petrels, found along the coasts of South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales.

The latest detection marks the first confirmed case in a resident Australian seabird, raising concerns that the virus may now be spreading locally.

Collins said the South Australian government was leading the response by increasing surveillance to determine whether the virus had spread further in local wildlife.

"What we do know is that this is a coastal seabird that has an overlapping coastal range with migratory seabirds that have previously tested positive for H5," she said.

Earlier this week, the South Australian government said it had completed the state's largest aerial survey of its coastline, islands and reefs in four decades and found "no widespread evidence of sick or dead seabirds or seals".

Authorities said the greater crested tern was found dead at Robe Marina on Tuesday and reported to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline before being collected for testing the same day.

Meanwhile, the New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water confirmed a young fur seal found unwell at Blue Bay had died and was being tested for H5 bird flu as a precaution.

Officials said juvenile fur seals are regularly found sick or injured along the state's coastline at this time of year, while tens of thousands of sea lions and fur seals have died from H5 bird flu globally.

"A young fur seal found unwell at Blue Bay on the Central Coast died on Thursday, and, as a precaution, samples have been collected and submitted for H5 avian influenza testing in line with established protocols," a government spokesperson said. "Further test results to inform cause of death are still pending."