New detections of the H5N1 strain in South Australia and Victoria have taken the national number of cases to 102.

On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said that Australia could be dealing with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza for a long period of time as the number of confirmed cases surpassed 100.

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Authorities have increased surveillance of wild birds following local transmission of the deadly strain among greater crested terns and seagulls.

The government is listening to experts on how to prevent the strain from spreading to threatened species and agricultural systems, but that the country could be dealing with the outbreak for a “long period of time.”

“We have learnt from overseas experience. We’ve done everything we can, but we cannot stop a very virulent, very contagious disease in this bird flu,” Collins said.

Australia confirmed its first mass seabird deaths linked to the H5N1 avian influenza strain, with hundreds of short-tailed shearwaters found dead along Victorian and South Australian coastlines testing positive for the deadly virus-marking a alarming new frontier for a strain… pic.twitter.com/2czWaSQAVg

— Ocean News (@OceanNewsUK) August 3, 2026

Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said that new confirmed detections of the H5N1 strain in South Australia (SA) and Victoria have taken the national total number of cases to 102, 81 of which have been in SA. Cookson said that there have been no detections in Australia’s agricultural system and the risk to human health remains low.

Speaking on ABC radio separately on Tuesday, Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt said that Australia is likely to see more mass mortality events.

On Monday, the federal government confirmed the Australian continent’s first mass mortality event from the H5N1 strain in a flock of greater crested terns that were found on an island off the SA coast.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

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