#19,294
In the 24 hours between Thursday's update and the latest (Friday's) above, more than 1,800 new hotline reports were received from the public, while the number of confirmed H5N1 `events' rose from 186 to 219.
The states of South Australia and Victoria continue as the nation's hotspots, with Victoria overnight reporting the first confirmed local penguin infected with the virus.
H5 bird flu update: new detections in wild birds
15 August 2026
H5 bird flu vaccinations of Phillip Island’s little penguins will begin on Monday evening following Victoria’s first detection of the disease in a penguin.
Three new positive detections of H5 bird flu have been confirmed in wild birds in Victoria, showing spread to East Gippsland. No detections have been found in poultry or other animals.
The latest positive detections are:
Chief Biodiversity Officer James Todd said the detection at Lakes Entrance is significant because it confirms H5 bird flu in East Gippsland and shows the virus is continuing to move through wild bird populations across Victoria.
- One little penguin from Phillip Island
- One crested tern from Lakes Entrance
- One crested tern from Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula.
‘The Gippsland Lakes are also habitat for large numbers of seabirds, shorebirds and waterbirds at higher risk from H5 bird flu, so spread of the virus through this area is likely to have significant impacts on wildlife,’ Mr Todd said.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said Agriculture Victoria and Phillip Island Nature Parks activated plans to vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins at Phillip Island and St Kilda as soon as the Federal Government authorised the use of H5N1 vaccines for priority native bird species.
‘Agriculture Victoria is working closely with Phillip Island Nature Parks to support vaccination of little penguins from Monday.
‘While the first detection in a little penguin is a concern, vaccination of little penguins on Phillip Island remains a meaningful way to help protect this important colony.
‘Vaccination is not a guarantee against infection but remains an important tool that may help reduce the impact of H5 bird flu in this population.
‘We will continue to monitor the colony closely and adapt our approach as new information becomes available,’ he said.
Community members should avoid touching sick or dead wildlife wherever possible and keep pets away from animals and carcasses. If disposal is required in an affected area, follow the advice provided and take appropriate precautions.
If you see sick or dead birds or wildlife, report it via the Agriculture Victoria website or call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
To keep up to date with Victoria's response to H5 bird flu, visit birdflu.
Media contact: sboc.media@agriculture.vic.gov.au
At the time of the following release, no confirmed infections of H5N1 had been reported in penguins, although given H5's history, it was all but inevitable. While only on fraction of the island's birds can be vaccinated, it will hopefully reduce the virus's impact on the colony.
Protecting Victoria's Penguins From Bird Flu
Published:Wednesday 12 August 2026
The Carroll Labor Government is moving quickly to protect Victoria’s little penguins from H5 bird flu.
Following the Commonwealth’s vaccine announcement yesterday, doses have arrived at Phillip Island and are ready to be administered early next week, pending final regulatory approvals.
More than 5,000 little penguins at Phillip Island and St Kilda are expected to be vaccinated as part of the program.
Vaccinating wild birds is challenging because each bird needs to be caught twice to receive two doses.
Little penguins usually return to the same colonies and burrows, providing a rare opportunity to vaccinate a wild population and monitor their response over time.
Vaccination won’t stop H5 bird flu from circulating, but it can help reduce its impact alongside existing biosecurity, surveillance and wildlife response measures.
The broader vaccine rollout will also prioritise vulnerable species held in captivity, including animals in zoos and other managed populations across Victoria.
The rollout comes as H5 bird flu continues to be detected in wild birds, predominantly greater crested terns, with new cases at Phillip Island, Mildura, Warrnambool, Hamilton, St Andrews Beach and Hawkesdale.
There have been no detections of H5 bird flu in little penguins in Victoria or Australia to date.
Over the past three years, Phillip Island Nature Parks has invested significantly in protecting little penguin habitat.
Victoria has invested more than $130 million in biosecurity and continues to strengthen surveillance and respond as the situation evolves.