Bird Flu Reaches Queensland: What to Do If You Find a Sick or Dead Bird

Bird flu has reached Queensland. Samples from a dead petrel found washed up on Moreton Island have returned a suspected positive result for H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza - the globally circulating strain of “bird flu” - in the first such detection in the state. Final confirmation testing is underway at the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, but the message for the public is already clear: if you come across a sick or dead bird, do not touch it, and report it.

What to Do If You Find a Sick or Dead Bird

This is the single most important thing to take away. Moving or handling affected birds can spread the virus and put you, your pets, and other wildlife at risk. If you find a sick or dead bird - especially near the coast, wetlands, or waterways - follow these three steps:

Also watch for clusters - several dead birds in one spot, or unusual deaths among seabirds and waterbirds, are worth reporting even if each bird looks unremarkable. If you keep poultry, whether a commercial flock or a few backyard hens, limit contact between your birds and wild birds, keep feed and water where wild birds cannot reach them, and report any unexplained sickness or deaths to the same hotline.

What Has Been Detected, and Where

The suspected case involves a single dead seabird - a petrel - recovered from Moreton Island. There have been no detections in native land birds, no detections in poultry or commercial flocks in Queensland, and no evidence of large-scale animal deaths in the state. The finding sits within a wider national picture: as of 23 July 2026, Australia had 17 confirmed detections of H5 bird flu in wild seabirds, beginning with a migratory seabird in Western Australia in June 2026. This is the first time this particular globally circulating H5 strain has reached Queensland, most likely carried in by migratory seabirds.

Common Questions

Staying Alert in the Field

Bird flu does not stop outdoor work, but it does reinforce good field hygiene for anyone working near wildlife. On fauna surveys around wetlands, estuaries, and coastlines, that means cleaning and disinfecting boots and equipment between sites, avoiding contact with carcasses, and reporting unusual mortality. For projects near shorebird roosts, seabird colonies, or important wetlands, these measures can be built into a biosecurity risk assessment so crews have clear procedures to follow.

Australia has well-established national arrangements for responding to emergency animal diseases, and the human health risk remains low. The most valuable thing most people can do is simple: watch, do not touch, and report to 1800 675 888.