SYDNEY, July 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Scientists have detected the highly contagious H5 bird flu in an Australian seabird for the first time, the government said Friday.

"While this, of course, is a concerning development it is not unexpected," Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told reporters.

A total of 12 cases of H5 bird flu have been confirmed in Australia since June but all of them were in migratory sea birds, not local wildlife.