Preparedness

Outbreak Watch

Avicena tracks various pathogens and outbreaks. Our Outbreak Watch initiative delivers a fast digest of the latest news on research on select pathogens. Each tracker below carries a situation summary for certain regions. Choose a tracker to see the detail.

Pathogens Tracked

107

Locations Mapped

Countries Covered

1 Oct 2026

Last Updated

Confirmed in six states and a territory

H5N1 Bird Flu

clade 2.3.4.4b

The most widespread bird flu panzootic on record, confirmed in native birds in all six Australian states and in mammals.

140M

Farmed birds lost

1,000

Human cases

479

Deaths

View Tracker

Updated 1 Oct 2026

Emergency, still spreading

Ebola

Bundibugyo ebolavirus

The 2026 Bundibugyo ebolavirus epidemic in DR Congo, a species with no licensed vaccine or treatment.

8,116

Confirmed cases

3,924

Deaths

2nd

Largest ever

View Tracker

Updated 27 Sep 2026

Across All Trackers

Latest News

The most significant developments across every tracker, newest first.

1 Oct 2026
H5N1 Bird Flu
Agriculture Victoria's public table lists 226 positive investigations, up five. One is a fox in the East Gippsland postcode around Orbost and Marlo, opened 27 September. It is Victoria's third fox and has not been announced. The others are gulls or terns at Williamstown, Anglesea and two East Gippsland postcodes.
Agriculture VictoriaVIC
29 Sep 2026
H5N1 Bird Flu
Agriculture Victoria's public table lists 220 positive investigations, up 21 since 24 September. One is a dolphin at Portland, opened 23 September, the state's fourth dolphin. It has not been announced. Most of the others are gulls and terns around the Gippsland Lakes.
Agriculture VictoriaVIC
28 Sep 2026
Ebola
INSP report 135 records 78 confirmed cases and 49 deaths on 26 September, taking the outbreak to 8,067 cases and 3,901 deaths. Ituri took 57 cases, most in Mandima. Armed men killed a screening worker at Vulemba in North Kivu.
INSPDRC
27 Sep 2026
H5N1 Bird Flu
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins launched a national campaign, 'Bird flu, know what to do', to run for six weeks on television, radio and social media. South Australia's environment minister Emily Bourke asked the Commonwealth again to approve an experimental US vaccine for sea lions.
ABC NewsAustralia
25 Sep 2026
Ebola
WHO's Disease Outbreak News reports 1,133 confirmed cases and 532 deaths since 11 September. It says the seven-day average rose in early September and has fallen in recent days, but daily cases remain high. The risk is very high in the DRC, high in neighbouring countries and low globally.
WHOGlobal
25 Sep 2026
Ebola
INSP report 131 records 47 confirmed cases and 20 deaths on 22 September, taking the outbreak to 7,820 cases and 3,779 deaths. Contact follow-up fell to 78.3 percent. Six suspected patients left the Mambasa treatment centre after a fire at the town's general hospital.
INSPDRC
25 Sep 2026
H5N1 Bird Flu
The national dashboard reports 640 events as at 4pm AEST 23 September, up 15. The department now publishes a spreadsheet listing every event with its sample date, council area, locality and species. It lists 17 mammal events.
Department of AgricultureAustralia
24 Sep 2026
H5N1 Bird Flu
New South Wales reports 66 events, up eight. They include a shy albatross, a tern and a shearwater at Stockton Beach in Newcastle, the first albatross confirmed in Australia. The others are terns at Kurnell, Roseville and Garie Beach, a silver gull at Batemans Bay and a kite at Tuross Head.
NSW GovernmentNSW
23 Sep 2026
Ebola
INSP reports 129 and 130 record 61 and 40 confirmed cases on 20 and 21 September, taking the outbreak to 7,773 cases and 3,759 deaths. The Matanda treatment centre opened in Katwa. Thirty frontline workers were vaccinated at Bunia.
INSPDRC