Bird flu is hitting Australian poultry farms, and the first human case has been reported in Victoria. Here’s what we know

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 14:05:30 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-is-hitting-australian-poultry-farms-and-the-first-human-case-has-been-reported-in-victoria-heres-what-we-know-230691>

"The first human case of avian influenza (bird flu) in Australia was reported
yesterday in Victoria. A child acquired the H5N1 strain of the virus in India
and became ill upon returning home to Australia in March this year.

Based on information made available yesterday on the Global Initiative on
Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), we can ascertain the child is a
two-year-old girl. She tested positive in early March and was reportedly very
unwell but has since fully recovered.

According to the Victorian Department of Health, contact tracing revealed no
additional cases, and the risk to others is very low.

Humans who acquire H5N1 generally have close contact with infected poultry;
H5N1 does not spread easily between people. But the fatality rate in human
cases is about 50%.

So what should we make of this latest development, as bird flu makes news
locally and around the world?"

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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