25/07/2026
H5N1 bird flu is finally here 😢
It's highly contagious & spreads via mucous, fluids, p**p. Reporting is mandatory & it’ll start in coastal & wetland areas. We've had 1 case where the bird got sick here (the others have been migratory birds already sick when they got here).
❓ It’s been different in every country & our wildlife is unique, so we don’t know how it’ll progress here.
What it looks like:
🦆 Birds: snot bubbles/dripping, coughing, sneezing, laboured/mouth breathing, lethargic, fluffed & not moving much, can’t fly, swim/walk in circles, lots of head shaking (to flick away snot), head held at weird angles, side-to-side head swaying, nodding, swollen face, white skin around eyes/ceres, tremors, paralysis, unsteady walking.
🐈⬛ Cats: Respiratory symptoms: wheezing, laboured breathing, snot bubbles/dribbles, weeping eyes. Looks like cat flu. High infection rates overseas.
🐩 Dogs & other mammals: Neurological symptoms. Bad coordination, tremors, seizures, head held at strange angles, nodding, swaying, circling.
🙅♀️ Humans: flu symptoms. Fever, fatigue, sore throat, cough, headaches, body aches.
If you see any bird or mammal with these symptoms, generally behaving abnormally, 2+ sick/dead in the same place, mass deaths:
🛑 AVOID: DON’T GO NEAR IT, KEEP PETS AWAY! Even if you think you know what’s wrong with it or it looks like a baby. If it’s on the ground & doesn’t look normal, stay away.
📸 RECORD: Exact location, symptoms. Take photos/video.
📲 REPORT: Call the Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) Hotline 1800 675 888. They’ll send someone to rescue it.
‼️️ High-risk species: waterfowl, masked lapwings/plovers, curlews, sea birds, raptors, hunters/scavengers like cats, dogs, foxes, rats, mice, seals, sea lions, quolls, brushtail possums, Tasmanian devils.
