Avian Influenza

Background Information

  • Avian influenza and pandemic human influenza are not the same disease.
  • There is little or no likelihood of a human influenza pandemic developing in Australia as a result of migratory birds carrying avian influenza virus to Australia.
  • Avian influenza in birds does not easily cause disease in humans.
  • Avian influenza is not a health risk to the community under Australian conditions.
  • There is negligible risk of people in Australia becoming infected with avian influenza through normal contact with birds. There is a low likelihood of the H5N1 virus coming to Australia and causing disease in poultry or other birds.
  • Biosecurity measures in commercial poultry flocks are aimed at, and critical to preventing infection with diseases such as avian influenza.
  • Aviary birds, caged birds and back yard birds are at negligible risk of infection if owners use simple biosecurity measures such as preventing them mixing with wild birds and protecting their feed and water from faecal contamination by wild birds.
  • Normal hygiene measures, such as hand washing after handling birds and using gloves when handling sick or dead birds, are very effective measures against many diseases, including avian influenza.
  • Australia is well prepared to deal with a case of avian influenza in poultry. There have been five incidents of avian influenza in poultry in Australia, the last being in 1997. Each incident was controlled and infected poultry eradicated before the disease spread. No person became sick from the avian influenza virus in any of the incidents.
  • Good surveillance, early detection, and rapid, effective stamping out have characterised every incident so far; planning, preparedness and response procedures continue to be refined and improved.

Avian Influenza and Human Health

AI is currently not known to be present in Australia. Generally, humans are not affected by most strains of avian influenza. However certain strains, such as H5N1, can cause influenza in humans. The first recorded human death from avian influenza was in Hong Kong in 1997.

Transmission of avian influenza from animals to humans is mainly by:

  • direct contact with live birds infected with the virus
  • direct contact with faeces, nasal or eye discharges from infected birds.

Biosecurity precautions are high in Australia. People generally have little contact with live poultry, unlike in many other parts of the world currently experiencing outbreaks where poultry may commonly live in domestic environments. In Australia, only poultry farm workers have relatively close contact with live poultry and high biosecurity and strict on-farm OHS regulations are in place to protect them.

There is some risk of infection to humans but it needs to be kept in perspective. Despite extensive contacts between people and infected birds in Asia, there have been less than 200 cases and less than 100 deaths of people who have contracted the virus.

In the event of an outbreak of avian influenza occurring in Australian poultry, consumers of poultry meat and egg products should not be concerned. The avian influenza virus (like most other viruses and bacteria) is destroyed by adequate heating or cooking. Normal food preparation hygiene should be practiced routinely.

Current Situation

  • Avian influenza is not currently present in Australia
  • It is safe to eat cooked chicken meat and eggs
  • Australia does not import live chickens or any raw chicken products
  • Australian poultry producers must adhere to biosecurity protocols

The above information was sourced from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries www.dpi.vic.gov.au 

Fact Sheets and Links


Fact Sheet - Biosecurity and your farm   

Fact Sheet - Good chicken farming practices   

Fact Sheet - Spot the risks of avian influenza   

AI and the Australian Chicken Meat Industry - for consumers   [External Site - opens in new window]

AI and the Australian Chicken Meat Industry - industry employees   [External Site - opens in new window]

AI Consumer Pamphlet   [External Site - opens in new window]