Tasmania has confirmed its first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain.
The virus was detected in a dead brown skua found at Burgess Cove near Rocky Cape on Tasmania’s north-west coast.
Authorities say this is currently a single confirmed case and is not considered an outbreak.
Tasmania’s government has activated its bird flu response plan and increased surveillance along coastal areas.
Officials are particularly concerned about the potential impact on vulnerable native wildlife, including the endangered orange-bellied parrot and Tasmanian devil.
The detection comes as H5N1 continues to spread among wildlife across several Australian states, prompting heightened monitoring nationwide.
