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Risk remains low
There have been ongoing detections of H5 bird flu (influenza A H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b) in birds in Australia. Bird flu has also been detected in other wildlife in Australia for the first time.
The risk to people in Australia remains low.
When assessing risk to public health, we consider the risk to the general population as well as at-risk groups, and look at various aspects, including:
- how easily the virus transmits – H5 bird flu requires close contact and rarely spreads to people from animals, and spread between people is very rare
- how serious the disease is – disease severity appears to vary, and as there are currently no human cases in Australia, the severity of human infection associated with the genotype detected in Australia remains uncertain
- how many (if any) cases there have been in Australia – no cases of this strain of bird flu have been acquired in Australia to date
- how likely the virus is to evolve to more easily infect humans – bird flu viruses can change quickly, although there is no evidence this strain has changed to infect people more easily.
If you find multiple sick or dead birds or animals, do not touch them.
Steps to take
- Avoid contact.
- Record what you see.
- Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia
What we’re doing
Australia is well prepared to respond quickly to H5 bird flu.
We are working with partners across government to monitor and respond to the situation, and ensure advice remains current and coordinated.
We will reassess the risk to people if the situation changes.
Learn more
Read more about:
- bird flu
- how to protect yourself if you work with birds and wildlife
- the Australian Government’s response
- how to protect domestic poultry and other birds
- cooking safely.
If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.