H5N1. worth a read

[Coss]

Whilst this is deep in the Southern Ocean, it appears to have got there via birds, and as we know, birds go just about everywhere, so...

Should this get to Human populations, it'll be a big issue.

Mass mortality of southern elephant seals during multi-species outbreak of HPAI H5N1 on sub-Antarctic Heard Island

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.16.732752v1

Drone and ground surveys (October 2025, January 2026), combined with viral genome analysis, confirmed infection with Influenza A H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b at Heard Island. Drone surveys revealed mass mortality in southern elephant seals, with 8,573 pups (62%) recorded dead across Heard Island by the final surveys. Mortality increased at an average rate of 5.6% per day in a subset of harems, and the highest observed mortality in a harem was 97%. Based on the average (76%) mortality in the final surveys, total estimated pup mortality at Heard Island was 13,359 (from a total population of 17,364 pups), though this may be an underestimate as mortality was ongoing at this time. HPAI was detected in six of nine species tested and, we suspect, led to elevated mortality in king and gentoo penguins. ...

[Coss]

So at this time, multiple birds have been found in OZ and now one in NZ with H5N1  - and those are the ones that have been found, there'll be many that are not saying hello.

prediction: gonna get bigger, OZ n NZ folk should avoid proximity to birds and whilst the fried chicken is still OK, there will be issues, when we come out of the winter season.

LINK