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Frequently Asked Questions
Information for Bird Owners | Human Health | Duck Hunting | Want more information?
What is Avian Influenza?
Avian influenza (also referred to as AI or ‘bird flu’) is a contagious disease that affects birds.
Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants and ostriches are susceptible to AI. However, disease outbreaks occur most frequently in chickens and turkeys. Many species of wild birds, including waterfowl and seabirds, can carry the virus without showing clinical signs of the disease.
There are a number of different strains of the virus. Some strains will only cause mild signs in domestic poultry whilst others will spread rapidly through a poultry flock and cause severe disease and high mortalities.
The transmission of AI from birds to humans is a rare event, but can occasionally occur with some strains of the AI virus.
AI is an exotic disease and there have been no reported cases of AI in birds in Australia since 1997. Victoria has high capacity and experience to quickly isolate and stamp out outbreaks, including AI. Three previous avian flu outbreaks in Victoria in 1976, 1985 and 1992 were quickly detected, isolated and eradicated without spread or human illness.
What is H5N1?
This is the designation of the avian influenza virus that is currently active in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa. This particular strain is highly lethal to poultry and has shown the capacity to infect humans and other mammals. Although such infections are rare, they are often fatal. Scientists have concerns about this strain gaining the capacity to spread from person to person and developing into a human pandemic.
How is the virus spread?
Wild birds particularly of the duck family are considered the natural host for AI. Certain water birds act as reservoirs of the virus by carrying the virus in their intestines and shedding it in their eye and nose mucus and droppings. AI will spread among susceptible birds when they have contact with contaminated secretions or droppings from infected birds. This is usually through direct contact (i.e. through close contact with an infected bird) but the virus can also be spread indirectly (i.e. by people wearing contaminated boots or clothing or contaminated equipment).
Victoria has strict biosecurity guidelines and OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) standards on commercial poultry farms aimed at preventing spread of infection.
Human Cases
As of 16 October 2006 a total of 256 confirmed human cases and 151 deaths were reported worldwide.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) (external link) and Bird Flu Watch (external link) provide regular updates on the spread of Avian Influenza.
Has Avian Influenza ever occurred in Australia?
AI is currently not in Australia.
There have only been five outbreaks of AI in commercial bird flocks in Australia, all of which were quickly detected, isolated and successfully eradicated without spread or human illness. These outbreaks were in Victoria (1976, 1985, 1992), Queensland (1994) and NSW (1997). There have been no reported cases of AI in Victoria for 13 years.
No cases of avian influenza have been reported in humans in Australia.
How would Avian Influenza enter Australia?
Wild waterfowl have been known for some time to be a natural reservoir of AI viruses. Migratory birds (especially waterfowl or sea birds) could potentially carry the AI virus into Australia. However, domestic poultry must then have direct contact with their contaminated secretions or droppings to become infected. The common migratory bird species coming to Australia are not the main reservoir species for AI viruses.
Is Avian Influenza present in Australia?
No. Surveillance continues to confirm that pathogenic subtypes of avian influenza virus (such as H5N1) are not present in Australia.
For example, in 2004 and 2005 surveys of over 2000 wild waterfowl in Victoria carried out at PIRVIC, Attwood, detected no significant avian influenza viruses.
A small number (3 in 2005) of harmless avian influenza viruses, known as low pathogenic or LPAI, were detected. These harmless AI viruses occur worldwide, wherever there are wild waterfowl.
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.
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Which countries have been affected by outbreaks in poultry?
From December 2003 through February 2004, poultry outbreaks caused by the H5N1 virus were reported in eight Asian nations (listed in order of reporting): the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Indonesia, and China.
Malaysia reported its first outbreak of H5N1 in poultry, becoming the ninth Asian nation affected in early August 2004.
Russia reported its first H5N1 outbreak in poultry in late July 2005, followed by reports of disease in adjacent parts of Kazakhstan in early August. Deaths of wild birds from highly pathogenic H5N1 were reported in both countries.
In October 2005, H5N1 was confirmed in poultry in Turkey and Romania.
In March 2006 Afghanistan, Israel and Pakistan confirmed H5N1 in poultry, followed by Germany in April 2006.
A chronology of the spread of H5N1 in 2006 is provided on Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website (www.daff.gov.au)
Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Malaysia have announced control of their poultry outbreaks and are now considered free of the disease. In the other affected areas, outbreaks are continuing with varying degrees of severity.
What safety measures are in place to prevent Avian Influenza entering Australia?
The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) has strict guidelines for the importation of all live animals and/or animal products in order to protect Australia from any exotic disease threat. AQIS officials routinely screen all international flights for animals or animal products. Particular attention is being paid to eggs, egg products, poultry meat, poultry vaccines, feathers and similar items. All international mail is also routinely screened. Maximum use is being made of X-ray machines and detector dog inspections. Luggage and mail items may be physically opened and checked.
Federal and state agricultural departments rapidly investigate all suspected AI reports. A nationwide hotline is operated all hours in order to detect any potential AI outbreaks. Agricultural department staff are trained and experienced so they can rapidly detect, isolate and control any exotic disease outbreak.
Unlike some other parts of the world where outbreaks have occurred recently, Victoria has high biosecurity and strict OHS standards on poultry farms. These strict standards provide significant protection against the disease infecting local poultry, though this remains possible.
What safety measures are in place at Australian international airports?
Australian Quarantine officials are screening 100 per cent of all flights from high risk countries, paying particular attention to eggs, egg products, poultry meat, poultry vaccines, feathers and similar items. All international mail is also being screened. Maximum use is being made of X-ray machines and detector dog inspections. Luggage and mail items are physically opened and checked.
What species of animals are affected by Avian Influenza?
AI viruses can infect a wide variety of birds including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants and ostriches. Many species of wild birds, particularly waterfowl and seabirds, are also susceptible, but may not show clinical signs of the disease.
Avian influenza viruses usually only infect birds but pigs, tigers, leopards and domestic cats have also been infected with H5N1. So far, all cases of H5N1 infection in people have been associated with close contact with infected birds in relatively underdeveloped countries (such as the handling of live infected birds). Similarly, H5N1 infections in other mammals have also involved close contact with infected birds.
The World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has published a comprehensive report about avian influenza in cats (and other animals) following the recent detection of the H5N1 virus in a German cat.
What types of birds are at risk?
AI viruses can infect a wide variety of birds including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants and ostriches. Many species of wild birds, particularly waterfowl and seabirds, are also susceptible, but may not show clinical signs of the disease.
Could a human influenza pandemic develop in Australia as a result of migratory bird carrying Avian Influenza virus to Australia?
No, 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.
Previous human influenza pandemics emerged in densely populated parts of Asia. On each occasion a circulating human influenza virus acquired some new genetic material from the reservoir of harmless avian influenza viruses that circulate in wild waterfowl. The circumstances that enable a new, “reassorted” virus to emerge as a human pandemic virus clearly only occur very rarely, and under conditions whereby there is close habitation of very large populations of poultry, pigs and people. These conditions do not occur in Australia.
If a human influenza pandemic were to develop as a result of avian influenza viruses mixing with human influenza viruses, it would, in all probability, develop somewhere else in the world and spread to Australia with international travellers.
What is the likelihood of the H5N1 virus coming to Australia and causing disease in poultry or other birds?
The national Animal Health Committee agrees that there is low likelihood of the H5N1 virus coming to Australia and causing disease in poultry or other birds.
The waterfowl that are the normal hosts of avian influenza, and have spread the H5N1 virus across Asia and Europe, do not migrate to Australia.
Fortunately, the wading birds that can carry the disease and migrate to Australia have almost no contact with domestic poultry.
Australia’s strict quarantine measures are aimed at preventing the disease being transported to Australia.
Biosecurity measures in commercial poultry flocks are aimed at preventing infection with diseases such as avian influenza.
Are aviary birds or caged birds or back yard poultry at risk of 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.
Can anything be done to stop the spread of Avian Influenza in wild birds?
The World Health Organisation fully agrees with the United Nations Food and Agriculture and the Office International des Epizooties (world organisation for animal health) that control of avian influenza infection in wild bird populations is not feasible and should not be attempted.
Wild waterfowl have been known for some time to be the natural reservoir of all influenza A viruses. Migratory birds can carry these viruses, in their low-pathogenic form, over long distances but do not usually develop signs of illness and rarely die of the disease.
The instances in which highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been detected in migratory birds are rare and the role of these birds in the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza remains poorly understood.
How would Australia cope with a case of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry?
Australia is well prepared to deal with a case of avian influenza in poultry.
There have been five incidents 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.
Australia’s eradication plans include personal protection and treatment measures to protect people working on infected properties and other people at risk of infection with the virus.
A national training exercise was carried out in November/December 2005 to better prepare Australia to respond to a case of avian influenza.
The exercise (Exercise Eleusis) tested whole of government arrangements, including communication arrangements between Primary industries and Health departments. For exercise purposes only, and not because it is a likely scenario, the exercise included human cases of avian influenza.
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Information for Bird Owners
As a bird owner, what can I do?
Owners of poultry should be vigilant for signs of disease especially where multiple mortalities occur in poultry, or many birds are sick. Care should be taken to maintain poultry in isolation from wild birds. Report unusual findings to your local Department of Primary Industries (DPI) animal health officer or private veterinarian. You should also remember that personal hygiene (washing hands after handling birds or eggs) should be practiced routinely for a number of reasons.
For more detail please refer to “What can domestic bird owners do to minimise the risk of avian influenza?” section.
For more information please see Information Note AG1173: Preventing Avian Influenza ("Bird Flu").
What are the signs of Avian Influenza in birds?
Avian influenza does not usually make wild birds sick, but some AI viruses can make domesticated poultry very sick and may cause death.
Clinical signs shown by birds will depend upon the strain of AI affecting the birds. Birds infected with a mild strain of disease may only show mild signs such as;
| 1) | decreased appetite, |
| 2) | decreased egg production, and |
| 3) | mild respiratory signs. |
Birds infected with a more virulent strain of AI will be affected more severely. Clinical signs may include;
| 1) | sudden death, |
| 2) | respiratory distress, |
| 3) | swelling and purple discolouration of the head, comb, wattles and neck, |
| 4) | coughing or sneezing, |
| 5) | a rapid drop in feed and water intake and egg production, |
| 6) | diarrhoea, and/or |
| 7) | occasionally nervous symptoms. |
However, these signs are not necessarily symptomatic of AI infection, but can be signs of other, treatable diseases.
For detailed description pleas refer to “Symptoms in infected birds” section.
What can bird owners do to minimise the risk of Avian Influenza?
All bird owners need to be vigilant. Owners of backyard poultry or free-range poultry should be especially cautious.
Bird owners need to implement on-farm/backyard biosecurity measures to prevent wild birds gaining access to the same food and water supplies as poultry:
- Fit nets to poultry sheds to keep wild birds out.
- Erect pens to keep domesticated poultry away from wild birds.
- Keep domestic waterfowl separate from poultry where the waterfowl have access to the same water as wild waterbirds.
- Prevent domesticated poultry from having access to open ponds, lakes or creeks or other watercourses.
- Keep wild birds off farm dams with netting or other measures where practical.
Contaminated water (i.e. water that wild waterbirds have had access to) is one of the most likely routes of infection for poultry. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that water supplied to poultry should be:
- from a treated (chlorinated) mains water supply
- from a bore that produces water of sufficient quality for poultry
- treated with chlorine if chlorinated mains water is not available.
Water should be chlorinated to achieve a level of 1-2 ppm before the water is used (treated water must stand for a holding time of 2 hours before the water is supplied to poultry and must be filtered to remove sediments that would deactivate the chlorine).
Backyard Poultry
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.
- Purchase animals of a known health status
- Isolate purchased animals
- Use good personal and farm hygiene – think clean
- Restrict visitors
- Maintain facilities
- All in – all out (replace all birds at the same time)
Do I need to protect my pet birds from having contact with wild birds? Do I need to keep them under cover?
AI is not known to be present in Australia. It is unlikely that exposure to wild birds is placing your pet birds at risk of infection with AI. However, it is wise to prevent contact between wild birds and domestic birds (particularly poultry) as well as your birds’ feed and water supplies.
I have a sick bird. What should I do?
Birds become unwell for many reasons. If your bird is unwell you should consult your private veterinarian. If a number of birds (particularly poultry) die or become ill suddenly, you should contact either your private veterinarian, animal health staff at your nearest DPI office or call the Emergency Animal Disease (24 hour) Hotline on 1800 675 888. You should also remember that personal hygiene (washing hands after handling birds or eggs) should be practiced routinely for a number of reasons.
Should I sell my birds?
No. There is no reason why you should sell your birds. Ideally, you should try to prevent contact between wild birds and your birds, and your bird’s feed and water supplies. You should also remember that personal hygiene (washing hands after handling birds or eggs) should be practiced routinely for a number of reasons.
Can I vaccinate my birds against Avian Influenza?
No. AI is currently not present in Australia and vaccination for birds/poultry against AI is not available.
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Human Health
Can Avian Influenza affect people?
Yes. However, transmission of the AI virus from bird to humans is a rare event.
For humans to be infected they must come in close contact with infected birds or their droppings. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or peri urban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play. Also, because many households in Asia depend on poultry for income and food, many families sell or slaughter and consume birds when signs of illness appear in flocks. Exposure is considered most likely during slaughter, plucking, butchering and preparation of poultry for cooking. There is some risk of infection to humans but it needs to be kept in perspective. Despite extensive contacts between people and infected birds there have been very few cases AI and human deaths as a result of this virus.
Am I at risk of catching Avian Influenza from my pet bird?
As AI is not known to be present in Australia, it is highly unlikely that your pet bird will become infected with AI and even less likely that it would be transmitted to you or other humans. If an outbreak does occur in Australia, the transmission of this virus from birds to humans is a rare event. For humans to be infected they must have close contact with an infected bird or its nose/eye fluid and droppings. Bird owners should routinely maintain good standards of hygiene when handling their birds (i.e. wash hands after handling birds).
What are the human symptoms of Avian Influenza?
The reported symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical influenza-like symptoms (eg. cough, fever, sore throat and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress. The disease has been severe and often fatal.
I work with birds/chickens. Am I at risk? What can I do?
Avian influenza has not been reported in Australia at this time, so people working in these industries do not need to take any additional precautions at present. It is, however, important to follow general OH&S guidelines and maintain standard hygiene measures when working with any type of animal.
Where avian influenza is occurring in Asia, very close contact with sick chickens is required for a person to be at risk
- Under Australian conditions, the risks of catching avian influenza would be very low even if there was an outbreak
- Good standards of personal hygiene and wearing protective clothing is important for anyone working with animals
- It is important for everyone in the poultry industry to be vigilant for outbreaks of unusual illness or deaths in poultry and contact a vet or DPI if there are concerns
- Practising high standards of farm biosecurity, in particular keeping poultry feed and water supplies protected from contact with wild birds, is also important to prevent outbreaks
If you have concerns about your health talk to your doctor
Can my children continue to feed the ducks at the lake?
Yes. As AI is not known to be present in Australia, it is unlikely that your children would become infected with AI from feeding ducks at the lake. Children should avoid handling or playing in areas contaminated with excessive amounts of duck droppings. You should also remember that personal hygiene (eg washing hands after handling birds) should be practiced routinely for a number of reasons.
Are pigeons in the city safe?
Yes. AI is not known to be present in Australia.
The risk to humans posed by wild pigeons in the city is negligible.
Are there any risks with food such as eggs or meat from poultry or other birds?
Eggs, meat and poultry products in Australia, which is free of avian influenza, remain safe.
In those countries experiencing an epidemic of avian influenza in poultry flocks, the World Health Organisation recommends that poultry and poultry products can be safely consumed if they are properly cooked and handled during preparation. To date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products.
Good hand washing after contact with raw products should always be followed.
How to handle dead birds?
Low or non-pathogenic Avian Influenza is known to be present in Victoria or in Australia. Surveillance here shows occasional detection of viruses that do not harm humans.
Therefore it is extremely unlikely that a dead bird, found on the street, in a backyard or in parks died of Avian Influenza.
If you find a dead bird you may simply leave it there.
If you wish to dispose of it, it is common sense to handle any dead animal hygienically:
- Do not handle dead birds with bare hand. Wear disposable protective gloves when picking up and handling the carcasses.
- Collect carcasses with plastic bag.
- Place dead bird in a second plastic bag.
- Place the carcass into the rubbish bin.
- Wash hands and forearms thoroughly with soap after handling.
- Avoid hand-mouth contact (such as smoking and eating) when handling carcasses.
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Duck Hunting
Is it safe to eat wild game birds such as wild ducks?
It is safe to consume wild game birds with the understanding that any wild game should be handled with normal kitchen hygiene and cooked.
How to handle game species such as wild ducks?
Normal sanitary precautions should always be followed when handling any game species.
Although wild birds particularly of the duck family are considered the natural host for AI, the ducks that are carriers of the virus overseas do NOT migrate to Australia.
Surveillance here continues to confirm that pathogenic subtypes of avian influenza virus (such as H5N1) are not known to be present in Australia.
A small number (3 in 2005) of harmless avian influenza viruses, known as low pathogenic or LPAI, were detected in over 1,300 investigations. These harmless AI viruses occur worldwide, wherever there are wild waterfowl.
It is sensible to use normal hygiene precautions when handling game birds that have been shot.
- when handling or cleaning game, wear protective gloves and be cautious about coming into contact with bird mucus, droppings
- wash hands thoroughly after handling birds
- cook birds thoroughly
- avoid any bird that appears sick or is acting abnormally
- when cleaning equipment, clothing, boots etc wear protective gloves and be cautious about coming into contact with the body fluids.
Want more information?
To report suspected outbreaks or unusual symptoms, call the Emergency Animal Disease Watch (24 hour) Hotline on 1800 675 888.
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