The Hon. Clare Scriven, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development (SA), Media Release, 7 July 2026

A suspect case of H5 bird flu has been detected in a migratory seabird at Hardwicke Bay on the Yorke Peninsula.

The giant petrel was reported to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline and collected and sampled by PIRSA. The samples returned a suspect detection and have been sent to the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong.

If the ACDP confirms the detection of H5 bird flu, it will bring the total number of confirmed cases in South Australia to two.

Importantly, bird flu has not been detected in commercial poultry flocks, captive birds or any other birds in South Australia, nor has it become established in any part of Australia.

It’s the first time this strain has been detected in South Australia. Since 1 January 2026, more than 900 samples from birds have been tested in SA.

South Australia has been preparing for H5 bird flu for the past few years, with the State and Federal Governments investing a combined $8.1 million into PIRSA to boost its emergency response capabilities, surveillance, diagnostics, workforce capability and overall readiness.

Other preparedness efforts have included training and simulation exercises, and other targeted environmental and wildlife activities.

A further $3.5 million has been invested into the Department for Environment and Water from the Federal Government to support activities to prepare for, build on-ground resilience in, and support response efforts for the environment and our wildlife.

Federal funding has also been allocated to the Zoo and Aquarium Association to help safeguard threatened native species at Cleland Wildlife Park, Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park.

What you can do:

The community is urged to be vigilant and report any dead or sick birds or wildlife showing signs of bird flu. Possible signs of bird flu in birds include:

• Multiple sick or dead birds in one location
• Weakness, inability to stand or fly
• Neurological signs or abnormal behaviour
• Swelling or discolouration
• Respiratory distress.

If you see sick or dead birds or other wildlife, do not touch them. Avoid contact. Record what you see. Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia.

For more information visit birdflu.gov.au. For more information on bird flu preparedness in SA, visit pir.sa.gov.au/birdflu.

Quotes attributable to Clare Scriven

It is disappointing that South Australia has a suspect case, however it was always a possibility through the pathway H5 bird flu has to our shores via wild migratory birds.

The surveillance we are undertaking is critical to get a broader understanding of where these birds are being seen, and I thank the public for reporting sick or dead birds to us.

Every report is reviewed and if there is any suspicion of H5 bird flu we send teams out to collect the birds for testing.

If you do see any dead or sick birds or wildlife showing signs of bird flu, do not touch them. Please contact the EAD hotline and report it to us.

Quotes attributable to Dr Skye Fruean, Chief Veterinary Officer at PIRSA

While no one wanted to see more suspect cases here in South Australia, we have been preparing for this for a number of years.

This new suspect case at Hardwicke Bay is considered isolated as there were no other impacted birds in the same area. This is encouraging as there are still no signs yet of spread of H5 bird flu into native wildlife.

Our surveillance is critical at this stage so we can locate any incursions into SA as quickly as possible.

We thank the public for reporting these cases as quickly as possible, as a quick response from us helps to slow its wider spread.