What’s happening
H5N1 avian influenza (“H5 bird flu”) reached Australia for the first time in wild seabirds in Western Australia in June 2026 and has since been detected in wild birds across Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. Bird-to-bird transmission and mass mortality events have occurred among wild birds in South Australia, and in late August 2026 the disease was confirmed for the first time in an Australian mammal – a long-nosed fur seal, also in South Australia.
Queensland’s first case was confirmed in a deceased petrel found on Moreton Island in late July 2026, picked up through the state’s enhanced wild bird surveillance program run by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Biosecurity Queensland.
Closer to home, a deceased shearwater found at Castaways Beach returned a positive result for H5 bird flu in late August 2026 – Queensland’s second confirmed case. It was identified after a member of the public reported it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline, exactly the kind of community reporting that makes surveillance work. There have been no detections in commercial poultry in Queensland, and no evidence yet of mass wildlife deaths in the state, but Queensland’s Chief Veterinary Officer and Chief Biosecurity Officer have flagged that mass mortality events among wild birds, as seen in southern states, are possible here as migratory seasons continue.
The current assessment: the risk to human health remains low, there is no impact on commercial poultry or trade in Queensland, and H5 bird flu is expected to become an ongoing wildlife disease requiring continued monitoring and management, rather than something that can be eradicated in the short term.
Why it matters for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve
Our beaches, waterways and wetlands support migratory shorebirds and seabirds that are especially vulnerable to this disease. As a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Noosa is a sensitive site, and protecting these populations is part of what the Reserve exists for. There’s also a low but real risk to backyard poultry, and to people who have close contact with sick or dead birds.
Responding to and managing H5 bird flu is a statutory responsibility of the Queensland and Australian Governments. Our role is to help the community understand the risk and the precautions recommended by the responsible agencies, and to support the local wildlife carers on the front line.
What you can do
If you find a sick or dead bird, or other wildlife:
- Don’t touch it. Keep children and pets away too.
- Record what you see – location, species if you can tell, how many birds, and photos or video taken from a safe distance.
- Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 (24/7), or via the Biosecurity Queensland website.
If you keep backyard poultry:
Review your biosecurity practices – keep feed and water covered, limit contact between your birds and wild birds, and report any unusual illness or deaths among your flock promptly.
Support your local wildlife carers.
Wildlife Noosa, Twinnies Pelican & Seabird Rescue and RSPCA Queensland are on the front line of this response. If you’d like to help, following and supporting their volunteer and fundraising appeals is one of the most useful things the community can do.
Follow the official advice
Biosecurity Queensland (DPI) leads the on-ground response under the Biosecurity Act 2014, working with the Australian Government and, locally, Noosa Council and wildlife carer groups. For the latest official updates, always go to the source and please rely on official sources rather than unverified reports;
- Australian Government – https://www.agriculture.gov.au/campaigns/birdflu
- Biosecurity Queensland — Avian influenza (current situation and alerts)
- Report a sick or dead bird in Queensland
- Australian Government DCCEEW — H5 bird flu and native species
- Animal Health Australia — Avian influenza threat update
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Avian Flu: A Threat to Biodiversity
Related reading: our 2024 article on H7N3 avian influenza in Victoria and what it meant for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve.