More than 1,000 birds found dead in three mass mortality events amid ‘significant’ H5 escalation in Australia

<p>South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas says there have still been no detections in poultry or livestock and no mass deaths involving mammals</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/aug/20/australian-politics-live-penny-wong-labor-government-anthony-albanese-gambling-ndis-question-time-angus-taylor-pauline-hanson-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has declared a “significant escalation” in H5 bird flu in the state after the detection of three mass mortality events involving more than 1,000 greater crested terns.</p><p>Malinauskas said the cause of the deaths was presumed to be H5 bird flu.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/20/more-than-1000-birds-found-dead-in-three-mass-mortality-events-amid-significant-h5-escalation-in-australia">Continue reading...</a>