HOW MANY H5 BIRD FLU EVENTS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IN AUSTRALIA?
* 298 events, which can involve one or more cases, in wild birds across the nation as of 4pm AEST on August 22
* 10 in Western Australia, 183 in South Australia, 11 in NSW, one in Queensland, 86 in Victoria and seven in Tasmania
WHAT TYPES OF BIRDS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED?
* Most events (225) involve greater crested terns, followed by silver gulls (35), giant petrels (eight) and southern giant petrels (eight)
* A little penguin from Victoria's Phillip Island colony was confirmed to have died from the strain earlier in August
HAS IT SPREAD TO OTHER ANIMALS?
* Five suspected events were recorded in South Australia on Monday, including a long-nosed fur seal at The Pages Conservation Park
* It follows confirmation of the first positive case of the virus in a mammal, a long-nosed fur seal at Beachport, 300km south of Adelaide
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT H5?
* H5 bird flu is also known as H5N1
* It is a highly contagious and deadly virus spread among birds and animals
* It first appeared in a goose in southern China in 1996 and has since killed more than 300 million birds worldwide
* It is different from the H7 strains that were detected on Australian poultry farms in 2020, 2024 and 2025
* Australia became the last continent in the world to have H5 on its shores when it arrived in June
* Infected birds can transmit the virus through body fluids, droppings and feathers
* It can also spread through contaminated poultry products, feed, equipment or other items
* Infected animals might look very sick or show no signs at all
* There is no effective treatment and the prognosis for animals with the disease is poor
* Bird flu vaccinations have been rolled out to at-risk species, including the little penguins on Phillip Island
CAN IT AFFECT HUMANS?
* H5 bird flu spreads easily between animals but not to humans
* There is no evidence humans can spread it between each other
* The risk to human health is low
WHAT'S AT RISK?
* Farmers in commercial poultry have gone into lockdown because a breakout can wipe out entire livestock populations, causing severe financial burden
* Native Australian wildlife species are at risk of serious decline, including the Tasmanian devil, the orange-bellied parrot and the Australian sea lion
* Domestic pets are considered at low risk but owners have been advised to keep cats indoors and dogs on leashes when outside
Sources: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Centre for Disease Control, SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions, Wildlife Victoria
Australian Associated Press