H5 bird flu detected in Australian seabird for first time

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.