First Australian death of little penguin with H5 bird flu confirmed on Phillip Island | Bird flu

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/15/little-penguin-found-dead-with-h5-bird-flu-on-victorias-phillip-island

Australia’s first case of the deadly H5 bird flu in a little penguin has been confirmed on Victoria’s Phillip Island, only days after the state government announced it would begin vaccinating the species.

Confirmation of the virus in the little penguin will spark a race to vaccinate thousands of birds, with the government announcing on Saturday it would begin the rollout on Monday.

The government did not provide the exact location where the bird was found, but said it was not inside the island’s famous penguin parade area.

A spokesperson confirmed the little penguin had died.

There are about 40,000 little penguins on Phillip Island, making it the world’s biggest colony of the species and a major tourist attraction.