H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Victoria after infected tern found near Portland

Officials from Agriculture Victoria reported that a greater crested tern recovered near Portland tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu strain, the first confirmed case in the state. Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke confirmed that further genetic sequencing is being performed at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong to verify the result. In response, Victoria has invoked its State Emergency Animal Disease Response Plan, aiming to safeguard threatened wildlife, support farmers and limit risks to domestic and commercial poultry.

The strain was initially detected in a brown skua in Western Australia in June and has since been identified in multiple southern states, including South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, likely carried by migratory birds. Local transmission among greater crested terns was also recorded in South Australia, underscoring the virus’s rapid spread along the coast.