Australia’s battle against bird flu is intensifying, with more than 24,000 calls made to the national bird flu hotline since the latest outbreak began.

More than 200 cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported across six states since June, prompting authorities to strengthen surveillance and biosecurity measures nationwide.

The outbreak has also affected wildlife. A little penguin on Victoria’s Phillip Island was among the animals killed by the virus, while authorities have begun a vaccination program aimed at protecting vulnerable species, including little penguins and animals kept in captivity.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the high number of reports demonstrated the important role Australians are playing in helping authorities monitor and respond to biosecurity threats.

Australia’s response relies heavily on public reporting, alongside efforts by biosecurity officers working at airports, borders and mail centres.

The scale of the country’s wider biosecurity operation has also been highlighted during National Biosecurity Week. Between January and July, authorities recorded more than 195,000 biosecurity interceptions at Australian airports, with another 53,000 detections at mail centres.

More than 70,000 of the airport detections involved X-ray screening or detector dog teams. Authorities said these operations prevented more than 23,000 items from entering the country.

Among the intercepted goods were seeds hidden inside pill capsules and chewing-gum containers. In another case, a traveller was allegedly found carrying more than 11kg of meat and fresh produce.

Officials also reported a case involving succulent plants that were allegedly falsely declared as “desktop decorations”.

The government says Australia’s biosecurity system has received more than $2 billion in additional funding since 2022, supporting efforts to prevent serious agricultural and environmental threats from entering the country.

Authorities continue to urge Australians to report suspected bird flu cases and follow biosecurity requirements as the nationwide response continues.