Australia has reported its first human case of bird flu, with a child from Victoria testing positive for the avian influenza after returning from overseas. The Department of Health in Victoria confirmed that the child fell ill in March and subsequently tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. Fortunately, the child has fully recovered from the infection.

Despite the global outbreak of this infectious viral disease in birds and animals, the Department of Health has stated that there is no evidence of transmission within Victoria. The authorities have conducted contact tracing but have not found any additional cases linked to this incident, reassuring the community that the risk of further human cases is very low.

Avian influenza, although a disease primarily affecting birds, is not commonly detected in humans. Most strains of avian influenza do not infect humans, with some subtypes like H5N1 posing a higher risk of causing severe illness and mortality in poultry. The recent outbreak of H5N1 in various parts of the world, including an incident involving a dairy worker in the United States, has raised concerns about the spread of the virus.

In a separate incident, hundreds of thousands of chickens at an egg farm in Victoria were euthanized after the disease was detected on the premises. The farm, located near Meredith, is currently under quarantine, but the child’s case is not linked to this outbreak.

Notably, the last reported case of bird flu in poultry in Australia was in 2020. The Department of Health emphasizes that avian influenza, particularly the H5N1 strain, does not easily transmit between humans, providing some reassurance amid the current global situation.