Updated ,first published
An outbreak of bird flu would be a fatal threat to pet cats and chickens, as well as Australia’s wildlife, although it is not considered a significant risk for humans.
Experts are urging bird and cat owners, as well as the poultry industry, to be alert for signs of the H5N1 virus, while a debate brews over off-leash dog areas and duck hunting.
An outbreak is likely to start in either wildlife or farmed birds before it spreads to pets, if the virus follows the same infection pathway as other continents.
Wild birds swooping in to share feed with farm animals can be a contact point for spreading the virus, as can farm watering points, as the pathogen can survive in water for extended periods.
The virus could also shift to suburban backyards from wild animals. Pet birds and cats usually get extremely ill and die when infected.
They should be kept indoors to avoid contact with potentially infected animals.
Signs of infection in cats include circling, tremors, seizures, blindness, severe depression, heavy discharge from the nose and eyes and difficulty breathing.
People who may have come into contact with sick animals should shower and change their clothes before touching pets.
Dogs are more resistant to the virus and rarely die or become severely ill. The same is believed to apply for rabbits and guinea pigs as well as cows, sheep, pigs and horses.
However, a controversial debate is brewing over dogs, duck hunting and leash-free areas on beaches.
Experts have warned that off-leash dogs on beaches or near water courses could contribute to the spread of the virus. Dogs could spread the virus after contracting it from sick birds, such as when retrieving shot ducks, or by disturbing large flocks.
The NSW government said hunting dogs may mix with sick animals or carcasses and spread the virus.
The federal Agriculture Department, which is responsible for biosecurity, said dogs should be controlled in areas near wild birds. This would include wetlands where waterfowl and other birds congregate, as well as around coastal nesting sites and colonies.
The Western Australian and Tasmanian governments have made similar statements that dogs should be kept on leash.
The US Centre for Disease Control has also said dogs may contribute to the spread of the virus to other animals.
Duck hunting is banned to the public in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. It is permitted in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Victoria.
Australia is the final continent to record cases of the H5N1 bird flu, which has killed millions of wild birds and mammals across the world and wreaked havoc on the poultry industry overseas. Experts believe the virus would be catastrophic for Australia’s native wildlife, with dozens of species thought to be particularly susceptible.
BirdLife Australia president, ecologist Professor Hugh Possingham, said an outbreak in local wildlife was “very likely” to occur, possibly within months.
It is highly unlikely that the H5N1-infected birds found on Australian beaches so far are the only ones that have landed on the nation’s 34,000 kilometres of coastline, he said.
“The chance that we are going to pick up every bird is extremely low. The fact that there’s been four now suggests that there’s others around that are infected somewhere along the coast,” Possingham told a media briefing organised by the Australian Science Media Centre.
He encouraged the public to keep an eye out for birds that may be infected with bird flu, particularly species in unusual locations, mass deaths or individuals that die suddenly.
“People can look for the signs, birds behaving strangely, seemingly uncoordinated, unusually tame,” he said.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, around 200 million commercial and backyard birds have died or been culled in the US due to bird flu. Egg prices tripled between early 2022 and 2025, helping to drive inflation and raise the cost of living.
In the US, two people have died from 72 confirmed cases of human infection. H5N1 is the most deadly strain of bird flu viruses including H7, a relatively mild variant, which circulated among poultry farms last year.
People should not touch a suspected infected bird but instead record their location and call 1800 675 888. Signs of bird flu in animals include sudden death or difficulty breathing, standing, walking or flying.
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Mike Foley is the climate and energy correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.