A second bird has tested positive for a deadly strain of avian flu as Australia's largest poultry producer plunges its farms into lockdown.
The H5N1 strain of the flu has been confirmed in a northern giant petrel in Western Australia, near where the virus was found in the first detected case, involving a brown skua.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said there had been no evidence of mass mortalities among birds to date.
"We are working to determine whether or not the H5 bird flu has established in the wildlife or established in Australia, other than these two isolated birds," she told reporters on Monday.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said people should avoid contact with sick or dead birds.
"It is important to remember that at this point in time we only have two confirmed cases," he said.
