CANBERRA/WELLINGTON - The Australian government has confirmed the first mainland case of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been detected in a migratory bird found in Western Australia (WA).

Julie Collins, minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, told reporters in Canberra on Saturday that testing by the Australian Center for Disease Preparedness confirmed that a brown skua found in a southern WA national park on June 14 had died from the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

It marks the first confirmed case in the Australian mainland of the highly pathogenic strain, which has spread around the world since 2020, causing the deaths of millions of birds and other animals.

A second bird, a giant petrel, was found sick nearby on Thursday and has been quarantined.

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The Australian government previously committed 113 million Australian dollars ($79.2 million) in funding to prepare for a potential outbreak of the H5N1 strain.

"We have looked at what has happened overseas and we have learnt from that, which is why we have invested early," Collins said on Saturday.

Speaking alongside Collins, Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer, Beth Cookson, urged Australians to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report them to the Emergency Animal Disease hotline.

The Threatened Species Commissioner, Fiona Fraser, said that authorities would know within days if the strain has established itself in any populations in Australia.

NZ on alert

Also on Saturday, New Zealand Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety Andrew Hoggard said the country is well prepared for a potential incursion of H5N1 after the virus was detected in a wild seabird in Western Australia.

Several government departments have stepped up monitoring and preparedness efforts, Hoggard said in a statement.

"Since the H5N1 strain of bird flu started spreading around the world, New Zealand's geographical isolation has protected us and given us time to prepare," Hoggard said.

READ MORE: H5N1: New Zealand strengthens preparedness

Australia has confirmed the H5N1 2.3.4.4b bird flu strain in a migratory seabird in Western Australia, with a nearby giant petrel also suspected. No poultry cases or mass deaths have been reported.

"We are watching the situation closely and remain in close contact with Australian authorities," Hoggard said, adding New Zealand cannot prevent the virus from arriving via wild birds and that eradication would be unlikely if it establishes in native populations.