H5 bird flu has been detected in Victoria for the first time, with one greater crested tern at Portland confirmed positive and a second suspected of carrying the virus.
Wildlife Victoria said it was first alerted after a concerned member of the public called about a tern displaying symptoms of the virus.
It advised the caller to avoid handling the bird and to contact the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline immediately.
Wildlife Victoria monitored the case until Agriculture Victoria responders arrived to contain and test the bird, which returned a positive result for H5 bird flu.
A second greater crested tern reported by a community member has since tested positive for H5 bird flu at AgriBio, with confirmatory testing under way at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) said.
Wildlife Victoria said signs of the virus in birds include a lack of coordination, tremors and swimming in circles, a twisted neck or unusual posture, an inability to stand or fly, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, coughing or sneezing, swelling around the head, neck and eyes, and cloudiness or a change in colour of the eyes.
Anyone who sees a sick or dead bird is asked to avoid contact, record what they see and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or via DEECA’s online form.
DEECA said there remained no H5 bird flu detections in poultry or other livestock, nor evidence of mass mortalities in any animals anywhere in Australia, and the risk to human health was low.
The department is asking Victorians to report clusters of five or more sick or dead wild birds of any species, and even a single sick or dead wild seabird, waterbird, shorebird, bird of prey or marine mammal such as a seal, sea lion or dolphin.
The Department of Health advises that human cases of avian influenza are rare and usually only occur following close contact with infected wildlife, Wildlife Victoria said.
Wildlife Victoria volunteers across the state, including those on the Mornington Peninsula, have been briefed on the detection and are receiving regular updates as the situation evolves, the organisation said.
“The detection of H5 bird flu in Victoria is incredibly worrying and we’re working closely with DEECA to understand the implications this will have on our Emergency Response Service, veterinary staff, and the work of our volunteers across the state,” Wildlife Victoria said.
“We’ve seen the impact this strain of avian influenza has had on species internationally, and we’re deeply concerned about our precious native wildlife, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.
“The best hope we have for navigating this outbreak is to work together.”
It is the first confirmed detection of H5 bird flu in Victoria since the virus arrived on mainland Australia in mid-June (Bird flu spreads to third state, The News 14/07/26).
First published in the Mornington News – 4 August 2026
