Another six birds will be tested for the H5 avian influenza virus in WA as formal testing continues on a seabird that will potentially become the State’s third confirmed case of the deadly strain.

Authorities received a further 69 reports of sick or dying birds through the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on Wednesday.

WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis confirmed on Wednesday that preliminary testing had returned a positive result for a southern giant petrel found in the Quindalup area, north of the popular holiday destination of Dunsborough.

The sample is being further analysed at the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Victoria to determine whether it is the H5 strain of avian influenza, with results expected in the coming days.

It comes after two confirmed cases of H5N1 in migratory subantarctic birds found on Cape Le Grand beach — about 56km east of Esperance.

The Federal Government confirmed Australia’s first suspected case of the deadly global strain of bird flu had been discovered in a brown skua on June 14.

Papua New Guinea this week suspended imports of Australian poultry and eggs following the initial detection of the virus in the two seabirds in Esperance last week.

In South Australia, a surfer who spotted and has admitted handling a sick seabird which became that State’s first confirmed case says health authorities have not reached out to him.

The virus was detected in a giant petrel found at Knights Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

The man who found the bird, Aaron Blake, was bodyboarding at the beach when he spotted the sick bird.

Speaking to the FIVEAA Breakfast radio show on Thursday, he said the bird was being “pommelled” by the waves, so he swam over to see if it “would fly away”.

“I kind of touched it, it tried to have a bite of me and I was like ‘I’m not going to touch that now’,” he said.

“It just got pommelled by waves and pushed into shore and then another surfer picked it up and put it on the beach and the wildlife people came and collected it.”

Despite the low risk of humans catching bird flu, Mr Blake said he hadn’t been contacted by any health professionals after handling the sick bird.

SA Bodyboard Club president Jasper Ashmoore was metres away from the bird when it was discovered and said it was obvious the petrel was in trouble.

“It came from around the back of the rocks getting swooped by seagulls and it just landed in the water right next to us and you could tell instantly that there was something going on with the bird,” he said per The Adelaide Advertiser.

“It floated in a bit further into the impact zone there and white water just engulfed it.”