SYDNEY – The first suspected case of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza in mainland Australia has been identified in Western Australia (WA), the authorities said on Friday.

Julie Collins, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, told reporters on Friday that initial testing on a single migratory bird that was found sick in southern WA has returned a suspected positive result for avian influenza.

She said that samples have been sent to the Australian Center for Disease Preparedness for confirmatory testing, with results expected on Saturday.

Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza have been reported on every continent except the Australian mainland since 2020, causing the deaths of millions of birds and other animals.

"If it is confirmed to be the H5 bird flu, this will be sobering but not unexpected given the spread globally," Collins said on Friday.

"I want to reassure the public that we're well placed to respond to and to manage this situation."

She said that the federal government has called a meeting of the states, territories and experts to discuss the issue.

Australians who see multiple sick or dead birds or other animals have been urged to take photos from a safe distance, record their location and report it to authorities.

The federal government on Thursday announced an additional 11.2 million Australian dollars ($7.8 million) in funding for efforts to protect native species from a potential H5N1 outbreak, taking the total funding for outbreak preparedness to 113 million AUD ($79.2 million).

The H5N1 strain was previously detected on Australia's Heard and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.