Outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu)

Avian influenza viruses are restricted and prohibited matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

Report signs of avian influenza in birds within Queensland by:

Detections in Australia

There have been detections of H7 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in Australia.

These outbreaks are not the same as the HPAI H5 strain that is causing significant impact on poultry and wild birds and mammals overseas.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)

Thirteen outbreaks of HPAI have occurred in Australia since 1976.

Each time, there was severe disease in the affected chicken flocks. All had obvious or circumstantial evidence of contact with wild waterfowl or surface water contaminated by wild waterfowl, or with free-range farmed ducks.

The 13 outbreaks were in:

  • Victoria: 1976 (H7N7), 1985 (H7N7), 1992 (H7N3), 2020 (H7N7), 2024 (H7N3), 2024 (H7N9), 2025 (H7N8)
  • Queensland: 1994 (H7N3)
  • New South Wales: 1997 (H7N4), 2012 (H7N7), 2013 (H7N2), 2024 (H7N8)
  • Australian Capital Territory: 2024 (H7N8).

Outbreak details

YearSummary
1976–1997
  • There is some evidence that initially, low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) may have been involved in the 1976, 1992 and 1997 outbreaks (Selleck et al 2003)
2012
  • HPAI H7N7 virus was detected in a free-range chicken layer flock of 50,000 in the Hunter Valley, NSW (November 2012)
  • The property had a range of dams that attracted wild ducks
2013
  • HPAI H7N2 virus was detected in a free-range and cage bird layer flock of 400,000 near Young, NSW (October 2013)
2020
  • HPAI H7N7 virus was detected in 3 free-range egg farms in Victoria (July 2020)
  • All 3 outbreaks were controlled and eradicated, with  proof of freedom declared on 26 February 2021
2024          
  • HPAI H7N3 was detected in 7 poultry farms in Meredith, Victoria (May 2024)
  • HPAI H7N9 was confirmed at 1 poultry farm in the Terang region, Victoria (May 2024)
  • HPAI H7N8 was detected in 2 commercial poultry farms and 4 non-commercial properties in the Hawkesbury district, NSW (June 2024) — these cases were not linked to the Victorian HPAI H7N3 outbreak
  • HPAI H7N8 was detected in commercial poultry (June 2024) — this property was linked to one of the infected properties in NSW. In July, a second H7N8 detection was confirmed in non-commercial poultry in the ACT within the quarantine area
    • All 3 outbreaks were controlled and eradicated, with proof of freedom declared in February 2025
2025
  • HPAI H7N8 was detected in poultry at farms in northern Victoria
  • This outbreak is not related to the 2024 outbreaks in Victoria, New South Wales or in the Australian Capital Territory

Low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) (H5/H7)

These LPAI H5 and H7 detections have been recorded in Australian domestic poultry:

  • LPAI (H7N7) was isolated on a duck farm during investigation of an HPAI (H7N7) outbreak in chickens in Victoria in 1976. The ducks showed no signs of clinical disease.
  • H5, H7 antibodies and other subtypes of avian influenza viruses were detected in commercial domestic ducks during investigation of an HPAI (H7N3) outbreak in chickens in Victoria in 1992.
  • LPAI (H5) antibodies were detected on a Tasmanian non-commercial, multispecies smallholding in 2006.
  • LPAI (H5N3) virus was detected in a free-range duck flock in Victoria during routine surveillance in 2012. The source of the virus could not be determined, but it is speculated that the primary source may have been wild birds, which were freely able to access the range area.
  • LPAI (H5N3) was detected in a duck from a flock of backyard poultry (ducks and chickens) in Western Australia in 2013. This was an incidental finding and all 95 backyard birds were euthanised.
  • LPAI (H5N2) was detected at 2 turkey farms in Victoria in 2020. LPAI (H7N6) was also detected at an emu farm in Victoria in 2020. All Victorian outbreaks of LPAI were controlled and eradicated, with proof of freedom declared on 26 February 2021.

Low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) (not H5/H7)

These LPAI (not H5/H7) detections have been recorded in Australian domestic poultry:

  • LPAI (H9N2) was detected in a poultry operation in southwestern Western Australia in May 2024.
  • LPAI H1, H4, H5, H7 antibodies and H9 subtypes were detected in ducks on a farm in Victoria in 1992.
  • LPAI (H4N8) was detected on a multi-age, commercial duck farm in Victoria in 1994.
  • LPAI (H6N4) was isolated from a single duck on a property in Queensland in 2006.
  • LPAI (H6N4) was detected in chickens in several sheds from a property in New South Wales in 2006.
  • LPAI H10N7 was detected in 2010 in a chicken farm in New South Wales, where transmission to abattoir workers during the processing of the poultry was documented.
  • LPNAI H5N3 virus was detected in a free-range duck flock in Victoria during routine surveillance in 2012. The source of the virus could not be determined, but it is speculated that the primary source may have been wild birds, since wild birds were freely able to access the range area.
  • LPAI H9N2 was confirmed on a turkey farm housing about 26,500 turkeys in 3 sheds near the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, in April 2012. The source of the infection is unknown.
  • LPAI H4N6 virus was found in ducks of several age groups on a multi-age farm of 2,400 ducks located on the north coast of New South Wales, in 2012.
  • LPAI H10N7 virus was detected in a Queensland poultry flock in 2012. The source of the infection is unknown, but it is likely that the primary source may have been wild water birds.

Human health concerns

Avian influenza could potentially be a serious human disease but there is limited evidence of human-to-human spread.

To date, the majority of human infections appear to have been transmitted from infected birds.

Human illness and deaths have been confirmed in other countries in people who had close contact with avian influenza viruses (H5N1, H5N6, H7N7, H7N9, H9N2) through contact with infected poultry or their contaminated environment.

More information

Last updated: 17 Feb 2025