Scientists Discover Bird Flu Cases in Southern Ocean Island Near Australia
A Southern elephant seal on the French Kerguelen Islands near Heard Island in the Southern Ocean. Antoine Lamielle via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Published on October 25, 2025, 8:25 am
Australian scientists have made a significant discovery during their visit to the sub-Antarctic Heard Island, an external territory of Australia. They have found suspected cases of H5 avian influenza, commonly known as 'bird flu', among wildlife.
Heard Island is located in the Southern Ocean, over 4,000 km southwest of Perth and 1,700 km north of Antarctica. The Australian Antarctic Program scientists were on a 10-day environmental management voyage to the region.
The Australian department of agriculture, fisheries, and forestry reported unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals on the island. This mortality was not observed in other species, such as penguins and seabirds.
Despite the discovery, the statement assured that a confirmed detection on Heard Island would not significantly increase the risk to Australia. The virus has previously been found on the French Kerguelen and Crozet sub-Antarctic islands, which are less than 450 km from Heard and McDonald Islands.
Australia remains the only continent free from the highly infectious H5 avian influenza strain. The scientists collected samples for testing at the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, with results expected in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, the disease has caused 56 outbreaks in 10 European countries and Britain from August to mid-October. The most significant outbreaks have been in Poland, Spain, and Germany, according to the ESA, France's animal health surveillance body, as reported by Reuters.
However, the total number of outbreaks is lower compared to 2022, when the EU faced its worst bird flu crisis.
