Breaking: Local transmission of H5 bird flu 'very, very likely', SA government says

Posted Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 10:43amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 10:43am, updated Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 11:06amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 11:06amGreater crested terns, like this one in South Africa, are the latest birds in which suspected cases of H5 have been detected in South Australia. (Matthew Fainman: iNaturalist/Creative Commons)What's next?The South Australian government expects results from a CSIRO testing lab on Wednesday to verify whether the disease is spreading locally between wild birds. South Australian authorities say it is "very, very likely" the H5 strain of bird flu is spreading locally, in what would represent the first known cases of local transmission of the virus.The state has identified 11 more suspected cases of H5 bird flu, seven of which are in the state's South East and four on Kangaroo Island.While officials are still waiting for final testing results, "due today or tomorrow", SA's Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said it was "extremely likely" to represent "localised distribution" of the virus.Of the suspected cases found in the South East, one case was at Southend, one was at Cape Jaffa, two were at Port MacDonnell, and three were at Beachport.Of the suspected cases on Kangaroo Island, one was found at Seal Bay and three were found at D'Estrees Bay on the island’s south coast. "What we've seen around the world is we can't stop H5 bird flu and there has of course, in every other continent around the world, been local transmission," Ms Scriven said. "So it was pretty much inevitable that it would occur. "We'll wait for the scientific definitions to say whether we are considered to be at that point now but certainly if we're not it's likely that it will be quite soon."