Is avian influenza a health risk in Australian conditions?
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. To date, human infection has only been encountered in those countries experiencing an epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry flocks, and then most cases have occurred in rural areas where people are in intimate contact with poultry that roam freely, sometimes entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play. 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.
