Suspected H5 bird flu outbreak on Australian island

Australian scientists suspect there is a breakout of highly contagious bird flu in wildlife in Australian territory.

At this stage, it is not a "confirmed outbreak" of H5 avian influenza, but Australian Antarctic Program scientists on an environmental management visit have observed unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals on Heard Island in recent days.

There were no observations of unusual levels of mortality in other species present on the island, including penguins and other seabirds.

READ MORE: 'Kill crew' trio charged with murdering alleged drug syndicate member's wife

In a joint media release, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, said seeing signs consistent with H5 bird flu on Heard Island was "not unexpected".

"This virus has previously been found on the French Kerguelen and Crozet sub-Antarctic islands, which are less than 450km from Heard and McDonald Islands," the release said.

The scientists have safely collected samples for the CSIRO to analyse when their vessel, the RSV Nuyina, returns to Australia mid-November.

READ MORE: Mum's plea after athletic daughter almost dies from 'cruel' disease

Heard Island is part of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands external Australian territory, more than 4000km south-west of Perth and 1700km north of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean.

Australia remains the only continent free from the highly contagious strain of H5 bird flu.

"A confirmed detection on Heard Island would not substantially increase the risk to Australia," the media release said.

But it said the suspected outbreak emphasised the need for vigilance.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.