Australia reports its second case of H5N1 bird flu, detected in a wild seabird in Western Australia. These are the first confirmed cases on the Australian mainland. In response, poultry producer Inghams Group has locked down all its WA farms as a precaution, though no commercial poultry are infected. The government is tightening biosecurity as Inghams' shares fell as much as 13.8%.
H5N1 detection in wild birds
- ▪The second H5N1 case was detected in a northern giant petrel, a migratory seabird, found near Esperance, Western Australia
- ▪Australia reported a second case of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in Western Australia on June 22, 2026
- ▪The first H5N1 case in mainland Australia, confirmed on June 20, 2026, was detected in a brown skua
Government biosecurity response
- ▪Australia's efforts to tackle bird flu include tightening farm biosecurity, increasing shorebird testing, and vaccinating vulnerable species
- ▪The Australian government has stated it will work to control the spread of the H5N1 virus
Inghams farm lockdown
- ▪Inghams is seeking a housing order from Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer to keep its Western Australian free-range poultry indoors
- ▪No cases of H5N1 have been detected in Inghams' commercial poultry or its supply chain
- ▪Shares of Inghams Group fell as much as 13.8% to A$1.810 on June 22, 2026, their worst session since February 20, 2026
- ▪Poultry producer Inghams Group implemented a complete lockdown across all of its farms and processing operations in Western Australia
Australia's bird flu status
- ▪These are the first reported cases of the H5N1 virus on mainland Australia
- ▪Until these cases, Australia was the only continent without a confirmed H5N1 case on its mainland
- ▪The H5N1 virus was previously detected in late 2025 on Heard Island, a sub-Antarctic territory of Australia
Story comments
Loading comments…