No unexpectedly, the results overnight from Australia's National Lab CSIRO have confirmed the 7 suspected bird flu detections reported yesterday in Southern Australia, doubling their total to 14.
H5 bird flu updates
28 July 2026
Attributable to Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Beth Cookson:
Testing at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) has confirmed H5 bird flu in 7 greater crested terns found in South Australia.
Of these, 1 was found at Cape Jaffa, 5 at Southend and 1 at Port MacDonnell.
There have now been 27 confirmed or presumed positive detections of H5 bird flu in Australia.
All of these have been wild seabirds found in coastal locations. Further laboratory analysis will be undertaken to help determine if there is evidence of local transmission.
There remains no evidence of any mass mortality events and there are no detections in poultry or in our agricultural production system.
Notably, these are native seabirds (greater crested terns), which raises concerns over the local transmission of the virus. Additional genetic testing is underway to try to determine transmission dynamics.
Farmers told: If bird flu infects your chickens, they will die, and don’t expect compensation
Overnight New Zealand announced plans to require poultry farmers (flocks > 100) to create and submit biosecurity plans - including the management of any outbreaks - to the government by the end of the year.
28 July 2026
Poultry sector gets stronger biosecurity backing to fight bird flu
Hon Andrew Hoggard
Biosecurity
The Government is introducing new biosecurity regulations to help poultry farmers manage H5 bird flu, protect livelihoods, and secure domestic food supply, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says.
“Now that H5 bird flu is here, it will almost certainly establish in wild birds.
“Cabinet has approved regulations to ensure the sector has the practices, infrastructure, reporting, and compliance tools needed to manage that risk.”
Poultry operators with more than 100 birds will be required to develop, register, and implement a farm biosecurity plan for avian disease, setting out how they will prevent and manage H5 bird flu.
“Biosecurity measures are currently voluntary in the poultry sector. While there is strong industry co-operation, farmers doing the right thing can still be put at risk by those who are not.”
“Biosecurity New Zealand and industry have been working together on a long-term approach to managing H5 bird flu. There is a good understanding of what good on-farm biosecurity looks like and plenty of information available to poultry farmers through the industry’s bird flu website”
“MPI is available, especially for smaller operators, through it’s On Farm Support team to help with the development of biosecurity plans and enhanced preparedness, including response plans.”
The regulations will focus on outcomes and the risks operators must manage, while giving them flexibility in how they do it.
Operators will need to keep records, undergo audits, and show clear plans for humane culling, disposal, cleaning, and disinfection if their operation is affected.
“When H5 bird flu becomes widespread in wild birds, poultry operators will face a constant infection risk. These regulations will lift on-farm readiness and give farmers the best possible chance to protect their businesses.”
Mr Hoggard says regulating the sector under the Biosecurity Act 1993 will also help protect food supply, trade, wild and captive birds, other animals, and people.
MPI consulted on the proposed regulations late last year and received 36 submissions, with feedback broadly supportive.
The regulations will now be drafted and shared with the industry bodies before coming into force by the end of 2026.
While full details haven't been fleshed out, last August the MPI and the poultry industry signed an agreement on biosecurity, whereby the costs would be shared by both parties.
“This agreement formally recognises industry bodies as decision-makers, alongside the Government, guaranteeing PIANZ and EPF a seat at the table if any of these diseases are detected in New Zealand.”
The agreement covers Newcastle disease, infectious bursal disease virus and all strains of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), including the HPAI strain H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b.
“Importantly, the agreement also sets out cost-sharing arrangements between taxpayers and the industry. This recognises the benefits to both parties of being well prepared, reporting early, and responding rapidly,” says Mr Hoggard.
“By sharing the costs of preparation and response, we ensure there are strong incentives on farmers to take preventative measures while also encouraging them to report suspected disease as soon as possible.”
Under the agreement, industry will contribute 45 per cent of readiness costs for all poultry diseases and 45 per cent of response costs, with the exception of HPAI – for which industry will meet 40 per cent of the response costs.
Readiness costs can include the cost of developing plans for response operational activities, running exercises for testing plans, and applied research to improve response operations. Response costs can include diagnostics, communications and activities to control a disease.
While New Zealand has been planning for this grim eventuality for years, even countries with decades of experience dealing with H5N1 continue to find biosecurity a challenge.
