Australia has now detected H5N1 avian influenza in wild birds and in South Australia there have been confirmed detections in a small number of wild mammals.

This list of frequently asked questions provides public health guidance on H5 bird flu (avian influenza) in South Australia, explaining how the virus spreads, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you suspect you’ve had exposure.

For information on the current situation see the birdflu.sa.gov.au website. This site brings together the latest information, advice and resources from SA Health, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), providing a central source of information for primary producers, veterinarians, wildlife carers and the wider community.

H5 bird flu is also known as avian influenza. It is a virus that can cause illness and death in poultry, wild birds, and some mammals. These viruses are different to those that cause seasonal flu in people.

Bird flu viruses do not spread easily from birds to humans and infections in humans are rare. When it does, it most often causes a respiratory infection.

It’s also very rare for bird flu to spread from person to person.

Bird flu spreads when infected animals shed the virus in secretions, faeces and other body fluids into the air.

People can become infected if they:

  • touch an infected animal, their body fluids or something contaminated with the virus, such as feathers, and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth
  • breathe in contaminated dust or air.

Most human infections of bird flu happen after prolonged exposure to high viral loads in animals or contaminated environments without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes close contact or close exposure in enclosed spaces with infected birds or other animals.

Do not touch the animal, keep pets and children away, and record details like location and photos or video if safe. Report your sighting to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Visit the Safe handling of sick or dead birds and other wildlife page on the SA Government website for full step-by-step disposal guides, personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations for specific roles (landowners, council workers, vets), and details on how H5 bird flu testing is triaged.

If you have been in direct contact* with a sick or dead bird, or other wildlife, their faeces/waste or feathers, or a contaminated environment, monitor for symptoms of bird flu for 10 days.

If you develop bird flu symptoms, contact your GP and advise of your exposure. Your GP will provide initial advice and may contact SA Health’s Communicable Disease Control Branch for more information if necessary.

*Direct contact means handling, handfeeding, cleaning out pens, or other direct contact with a bird/animal, or their faeces/waste.

The best way to protect against bird flu is to stay away from sick or dead birds and wildlife and their:

  • faeces/waste
  • body fluids
  • feathers
  • eggs.

Other simple measures to prevent bird flu include:

  • washing your hands thoroughly before and immediately after handling any bird or wildlife (even if healthy)
  • not allowing pets to touch or eat sick and dead birds or wildlife
  • thoroughly cooking meat and eggs before eating.
  • When traveling overseas, avoid visiting live bird/animal markets, commercial poultry farms, or touching wild animals.

When cleaning a backyard chicken coop:

  • Wear a mask as you would for any other dusty garden tasks.
  • Wear gloves as you would for any dusty or dirty garden tasks.
  • Use a long rake or broom rather than handling the litter directly.
  • Avoid breathing in dust.
  • Wash hands thoroughly after completing your task.
  • If your chickens are sick and showing signs of bird flu, then a higher level of PPE is recommended. Contact the Emergency Animal Disease hotline on 1800 675 888 or your private veterinarian for advice. Refer to https://www.birdflu.sa.gov.au/pets for more information.

Vaccination

We continue to encourage everyone to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine which protects against the seasonal flu as well as reducing the risk of co-infection with both human and avian influenza viruses. Seasonal influenza vaccine does not protect against bird flu.

Symptoms of bird flu in humans can range from mild illness to severe disease with symptoms similar to those of seasonal influenza. Symptoms include fever, cough, tiredness, muscle aches, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache and diarrhoea. Bird flu can also cause conjunctivitis (pink eye).

Learn more Bird flu (avian influenza) in humans - including symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Advice for health professionals regarding bird flu in humans, including diagnosis, management, testing, treatment and prevention.

Because there are so few human infections and so many subtypes of bird flu, we do not yet fully know which groups are at greater risk of severe disease. We expect they are similar to those for seasonal flu, and might include:

  • babies and children under 5 years old
  • older people
  • pregnant people
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • people with certain chronic conditions
  • people who are immunocompromised
  • people who smoke.

Anyone who spends time around poultry, other birds or wildlife is at higher risk of exposure to bird flu. The risk is much greater if the animals are sick. This may include:

  • people who work with poultry
  • people who work with poultry products
  • veterinarians
  • wildlife rescue
  • wildlife workers and carers.
  • laboratory workers handling bird flu specimens.

For people working in occupations where direct contact with sick or dead birds is likely, they should follow biosecurity guidance, workplace safety procedures and use appropriate personal protective equipment. Exposure is significantly reduced by wearing mask, gloves, gown and eye protection and washing hands thoroughly after contact.

Personal protective equipment recommendations and other guidance can be found in the CDC's Bird flu toolkit for people who work with birds and the CDC’s National guidelines for avian influenza: protecting people who work with birds and wildlife (PDF 435KB).

High-risk human exposure

A person who has been in direct contact with a suspected or confirmed positive case of bird flu in a bird, while wearing no PPE, or incorrectly using PPE, and incorrectly following infection prevention and control measures.

Low-risk human exposure

A person who has been in contact with a suspected or confirmed positive case while correctly using required personal protective equipment (PPE) and correctly following infection prevention and control measures.

Detections of H5 bird flu remain limited to wild birds and there are no detections in poultry or our agricultural system. Bird flu is not a food safety risk for chicken meat and eggs if they are handled and cooked correctly.

If hunting or undertaking cultural practices:

  • Do not handle birds or wild mammals suspected to be sick or found dead.
  • After plucking birds or handling raw meat or eggs, wash your hands with soap and water, or if unavailable, use hand sanitiser.
  • Ensure traditional hunting catches, including bush turkey, are thoroughly cooked (no trace of blood) prior to eating.

There is no risk of bird flu in municipal drinking water supplies, as they are disinfected which effectively inactivates the virus.

When it comes to rainwater, the viruses that cause bird flu do not spread easily to humans, making the risk of transmission through untreated rainwater very low. However, you can further reduce this risk by following general safety guidance to prevent bird entry and to minimise contamination from bird droppings.

To keep your rainwater safe, ensure that the tank is completely covered and all access points are sealed except for the inlet and overflow. Additionally, make sure the inlet incorporates a mesh cover and a strainer, and that the overflow is protected with an insect-proof screen.

Unless there is evidence of sick or dead birds or significant contamination, the presence of birds nesting on roofs, in gutters, or around buildings does not require building evacuation, closure, or extraordinary cleaning measures.

Standard bird management should simply be included in programmed building maintenance schedules through routine vermin and pest control, in consultation with local Building Service Units.

Lakes, rivers, and coastal beaches with active water flows present minimal risk compared to smaller, enclosed ponds.

In open natural bodies of water (lakes, rivers, oceans), the large and moving volume of water dilutes the concentration of the active virus particles below infectious levels.

Avoid swimming and wading in small, stagnant, ponds with large bird populations.

If you observe clusters of sick, dying, or dead birds or marine life near a waterway, do not enter the water. Avoid, record, and report the sightings to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Whilst the bird flu virus can survive for a limited period of time in the environment, the risk to human health remains low.

If sick or dead birds are present on the beach, avoid direct contact with the birds and their body waste.