Bird flu H5N1 in Australia: protect Australian species from bird flu virus

In June, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was detected in Australia for the first time, in birds in a remote region in the west of the country. It is unknown whether the virus has spread to other wildlife. So far, livestock seem unaffected. But H5N1 is starting to be detected across the country, and its impact on the many endemic and increasingly imperilled species could be substantial (S. Ryding et al. Austral Ecol. 50, e70048; 2025).

Nature 655, 816 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02188-y

Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.

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