H5 bird flu and your pets: cats, dogs and backyard birds

This page covers the risks H5 bird flu poses to cats, dogs and backyard birds, and how to protect them. For what it means for native animals, see our companion page, H5 bird flu and Australia’s wildlife.

South Australia carries the bulk of events. Greater crested terns have been hit hardest by far, followed by silver gulls, with the virus also confirmed in penguins, cormorants, gannets, magpies, ravens and birds of prey. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has said Australians should expect more spread and larger numbers of dead birds, including further mass mortalities.

There are still no detections in poultry or the wider agriculture industry, and the risk to human health remains low. This remains a developing situation and we will keep this page updated; for the current national count and the picture in your state, see the official sources below.

How does H5 bird flu affect pets?

While H5 bird flu has been reported in domestic cats and dogs overseas, the risk to pets has been low. Infection generally requires direct or indirect contact with an infected bird or animal, and Australian veterinarian Dr Sally Coggan says predation and scavenging are the two main pathways.

H5 bird flu and dogs

In dogs the illness appears less severe than in cats, with far fewer cases reported. Dr Coggan says signs can be mild, and in some cases exposure has only been picked up afterwards through antibodies in the bloodstream, showing the dog had been infected at some point without obvious illness.

The real risk is for dogs that eat or scavenge dead birds. Dogs drawn to picking up or mouthing birds — which includes many working and retrieving breeds — should be kept well away from sick or dead wildlife. Dr Coggan’s practical advice for dog owners is to keep dogs on lead when walking on beaches in areas where cases have been detected.

H5 bird flu and cats

Cats are more seriously affected. Dr Coggan says the illness usually begins with a fever, which can make them acutely lethargic and go off their food, followed by rapidly progressive neurological signs — trouble walking, appearing drunk on their feet, head tremors, or acute blindness — and then respiratory signs. Cats tend to develop symptoms within 24 hours, and most have succumbed within 2 to 3 days of exposure.

Dr Coggan notes that in the United States, only around 200 domestic cats have tested positive in the decade or more since the virus arrived there. Cases are rare — but the illness is severe when it does occur, and hunting or scavenging an infected bird is the usual route.

On treatment, Dr Coggan says data is very limited: the mainstay is supportive care, though Tamiflu (oseltamivir), a human antiviral, has been used successfully in two cats. No vaccines are available for H5N1 in cats. The May 2026 review, Avian Influenza and Feline Patients, is a useful resource for vets and anyone wanting detailed information on symptoms and protocols for suspected cases.

A note on ferrets

Ferrets are highly susceptible to influenza viruses, but like cats, kept indoors their exposure risk is very low.

Infographics & posters: Bird flu & pets

Help keep our pets safe and reduce the spread of H5 bird flu - download and share on social media, website, or print for your clinic, rescue or community noticeboard.

Cats — Print: simple · detailed · Social

Dogs — Print: simple · detailed · Social

All pets — Print: simple · detailed · Social

Is it true that half of infected cats die?

The short answer: the real figure is higher than half, but it is widely misread. Studies of cats infected with H5N1 have reported very high death rates. A systematic review of two decades of cases found a fatality rate of around 90% for the strain now circulating, and the Cornell Feline Health Center reports that up to 70% of infected cats die. These are serious numbers, and they reflect that the illness is often severe once it takes hold.

In almost all of those recorded cases, the cats were tested because they were already gravely ill or had died. Milder infections often go untested and uncounted, so researchers note the true fatality rate is likely lower than these figures suggest — they are an overestimate.

So the key takeaway is that infection is uncommon, but can be very serious, even deadly, for cats that contract it. Keeping cats away from sick or dead birds is what matters the most.

How can I protect my pets?

Governments are now saying this directly. After H5 bird flu was confirmed in a red fox in suburban Adelaide, South Australia’s Primary Industries Minister, Clare Scriven, asked pet owners to restrict their pets’ movements: dogs on a lead and away from dead or sick birds and wildlife, and cats kept inside. As she put it, we already keep cats in so they don’t attack birdlife — in this case it also protects the cat. Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Beth Cookson, made the same point when confirming the fox: it is a reminder that people and their pets should avoid sick or dead wildlife.

The following steps are drawn from Australian and veterinary guidance and reduce the chance of a pet being exposed:

• Keep pets away from sick or dead birds and other wildlife. Don't let dogs approach or mouth them, and don't let cats hunt or scavenge them.
• Keep cats indoors or in a secure enclosure. This prevents hunting and scavenging — the main exposure route for cats — and protects native wildlife at the same time.
• Keep dogs on a lead in areas where wildlife are present.
• Don't leave pet food or water outside where wild birds and animals can reach it. Anything that gathers wild birds in one place — bird baths, water dishes, feeding stations — can help disease spread between them.
• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling birds or other animals, and after handling bird feeders. If you have had contact with birds, livestock or wild animals, change your clothes and footwear before contact with your pets.

In countries where the strain is circulating in poultry and dairy — such as the United States — cats have been infected through raw or undercooked poultry, freeze-dried raw diets, or raw (unpasteurised) milk, and authorities there advise against feeding these to pets. Cooking and pasteurising inactivate the virus. This isn't a documented route in Australia at this stage, but if H5 becomes established here the same precaution would apply.

For most pets the practical risk remains low — indoor cats without these exposures are unlikely to be infected — but these simple steps remove the main avoidable risks.

If you keep backyard poultry or pet birds

Pet birds, aviary birds and backyard poultry are more exposed than cats or dogs, because H5 bird flu spreads most readily between birds. There are no reports of infection in pet or aviary birds in Australia at this stage. The main risk is contact with wild birds — especially waterfowl — and contamination from their droppings. Birds housed in enclosed aviaries, where feed and water cannot be reached by wild birds, are at low risk.

• Keep wild birds out. Cover aviaries and runs where you can, using mesh fine enough to keep even small wild birds out, and keep feed and water where wild birds cannot reach or foul them.
• Store feed securely in sealed containers, and clean feed and water containers regularly.
• Give clean, fresh water. Provide drinking water from a mains or tank supply rather than from a dam or other source that wild birds use, and site it where wild birds cannot foul it.
• Practise good hygiene. Wash your hands before and after handling your birds, clear droppings and waste promptly, and avoid sharing equipment between aviaries unless it has been cleaned and disinfected. Keeping a dedicated pair of shoes for the coop — worn only there and not brought inside — is a simple extra precaution, especially if you also have a cat or dog at home.
• Quarantine new birds for at least 30 days before introducing them to your flock, and tend to them last. Source birds from reputable breeders rather than markets.

Signs of H5 bird flu in birds can include sudden death, lethargy, laboured breathing, swelling around the head, and a sudden drop in egg laying. If you suspect it, do not move your birds — call your veterinarian, and report it on 1800 675 888. Avian influenza is a nationally notifiable disease.

Bird events are being affected. The Royal Adelaide Show has cancelled all poultry and pigeon competitions for 2026 — around 1,600 classes covering eggs, pigeons, bantams, ducks, fowl and geese. If you show or sell birds, check with organisers before travelling.

How do I report a sick or dead bird?

Community reports are how surveillance teams track where the virus is and identify locations that need investigation. Australians have made more than 25,000 reports to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline since the outbreak began, and the country’s first confirmed mammal case came from a member of the public reporting a dead seal on a beach. Report early — even a single sick or dead bird is worth reporting, and you don’t need to wait for an obvious outbreak.

Victoria publishes a public map of the reports made to its wildlife surveillance program. It shows the approximate location of sick or dead wild birds, marine mammals and other wildlife reported to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and is updated each weekday. You can filter it by species group and change the date range. It is worth a look if you have ever wondered what happens to a report after it is made. See the map via Agriculture Victoria.

What is H5 bird flu?

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral disease that mainly affects birds but can infect other animals. The strains are grouped as either low pathogenicity (LPAI), which usually causes little or no illness, or high pathogenicity (HPAI), which can cause severe illness and death in poultry and, sometimes, in wild birds.

H5 bird flu is high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1. It includes the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b strain, which has spread around the world since 2021 through the movement of wild birds, with an impact not seen before. It has now been detected in over 600 species of birds, and has crossed into many wild and domestic mammals as well — seals among the hardest hit. Millions of wild birds have died, and some species have seen sharp falls in their global numbers.

How did it reach Australia?

One likely route is through the sub-Antarctic. H5 bird flu was confirmed in June 2026 on Heard Island — a remote sub-Antarctic Australian external territory roughly 4,000 kilometres south-west of Perth — where it has been linked to the deaths of over 13,000 elephant seal pups. The virus has been moving steadily through the sub-Antarctic, and seabirds reaching the Western Australian coast from that region is one way it could be carried closer to the mainland.

The other route is the movement of migratory birds. Each year, shorebirds arrive in Australia from the northern hemisphere between roughly August and November, and waterfowl move down from regions to Australia's north — either can carry the virus. That spring migration window is now opening, which is why authorities expect the risk of further spread to rise over the coming months.

What would it mean for Australia's wildlife?

The greatest concern with H5 bird flu is its impact on wildlife. Overseas it has killed wild birds and some mammals in very large numbers — seabirds, waterfowl and birds of prey among the birds, and seals and sea lions among the mammals. Australia has now recorded its first such loss of native wildlife to the virus, and authorities expect the spread to widen as migratory birds arrive. Because many of our native animals are found nowhere else and have never encountered this virus, the impacts here are hard to predict.

This is why early reporting matters so much: surveillance built on reports from the public is one of the few tools available to track the virus and respond, and there is no treatment for H5 bird flu in wildlife. Read more about H5 bird flu and Australia's wildlife — for the risks to seals, seabirds and other native species, and how wildlife carers can help.

Is there a risk to human health?

H5 bird flu is primarily a disease of wild birds and mammals, and the risk to the general public is low. Human infections are rare, usually mild, and are generally associated with close contact with infected animals or their environments. There is no evidence of sustained spread between people. Because influenza viruses can change over time, health authorities monitor the situation closely and are working with experts to make sure Australia is prepared — but this reflects caution, not a current threat to people going about their day.

The practical advice is the same as for protecting wildlife and pets: avoid contact with sick or dead birds and animals, keep your distance, and report what you see. It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry, eggs and egg products.

How can we help?

Save the 24 hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline number to your phone 1800 675 888. Researchers and biosecurity authorities depend on reports of sick and dead wildlife to track where the virus is and respond quickly.

References

Updated 29 August 2026 — reviewed by Maria Arnold, BSc (Hons), ANU — Founder, Perfect Pets. This page covers a developing situation and the information may change — please check the official sources listed above for the current status, and contact your veterinarian if you are concerned about your pet's health.  If you believe any information is out of date, please contact us.