Authorities in Tasmania, Australia have confirmed that 28 penguins and three greater crested terns found dead on King Island — approximately 100 km off Tasmania's northwest coast — will be tested for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Surveillance teams discovered the birds on Wednesday, 20 August 2025, prompting immediate sample collection and biosecurity measures.

What Was Found on King Island

Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed the discovery, stating that samples from the dead birds have been dispatched to a laboratory for H5N1 testing. The carcasses were scheduled to be collected on Thursday to reduce any risk of further transmission to wildlife or domestic animals in the area.

Incident controller Wes Ford acknowledged the distress such reports cause among residents. 'Tasmanians care deeply about our wildlife, and particularly our penguins, so we understand that reports like these may be distressing for the community,' he said.

Tasmania's Escalating H5N1 Situation

Tasmania recorded its first confirmed H5N1 case on 13 August, nearly two months after the highly pathogenic strain was first detected on the Australian mainland in June. As of Thursday, there have been 11 confirmed H5N1 cases in Tasmania, all concentrated in the state's northwest or on King Island itself.

Ford warned that further incidents are anticipated. 'We expect to continue receiving reports of sick and dead birds on King Island, along the northwest coast and in other parts of Tasmania,' he said. Authorities have urged residents to keep cats indoors and walk dogs on leads to minimise infection risk, and to avoid contact with sick or dead animals.

National Picture: 262 Confirmed Events, No Poultry Cases Yet

According to the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, there have been 262 confirmed H5N1 bird flu events in Australian wildlife as of 18 August. Notably, no detections have been recorded in poultry or the broader agriculture industry — a distinction that authorities are keen to maintain as the outbreak spreads geographically.

This comes amid growing global concern over H5N1's reach into new ecosystems and species. Penguins, as colonial-nesting seabirds with limited natural immunity to avian influenza, are considered particularly vulnerable. The King Island cluster marks a southward expansion of the outbreak within Australia that wildlife agencies will be watching closely.

What Authorities Are Asking the Public to Do

Biosecurity officials have issued clear guidance for Tasmanians: avoid handling any sick or dead birds, keep pets restrained, and report unusual wildlife deaths to the relevant state authority. Ford's team is coordinating surveillance across the northwest coast as the situation develops.

Test results from the King Island birds are expected to confirm or rule out H5N1 in the coming days, which will determine the scale of the response required.