H5N1 bird flu detected in gentoo penguins on Australia’s Heard Island
The gentoo penguin on Heard Island is the first bird on an Australian territory to test positive for H5N1 bird flu, after earlier detections in southern elephant seals; while Australia says it remains free of H5N1 and ongoing detections do not greatly raise immediate risk, experts warn the virus poses a serious threat to wildlife and stress the need for heightened surveillance and preparedness as H5N1 continues to spread across sub-Antarctic islands.