In cases where people have become infected in other countries, it usually involved close contact with sick birds, sick livestock or contaminated environments and where personal protective equipment (PPE) was not worn.
It is recommended not to handle sick or dead wildlife. If you need to handle sick or dead wildlife, you should wear appropriate PPE and practice good hygiene.
Symptoms and what to do
People who have avian influenza may have no or mild symptoms. Symptoms generally appear between 1 and 10 days following exposure to the virus. Common symptoms are similar to the seasonal flu and include:
- sore, irritated or red eyes (conjunctivitis)
- fever
- cough
- sore throat
- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- headaches
- runny or stuffy nose
- body aches
- nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea (less common).
If you suspect you have avian influenza contact your general practitioner and tell them you have been around sick birds or wildlife. They can contact the local WA Public Health Unit for advice and provide guidance on how to get tested.
More information about symptoms, what to do and how to protect yourself can be found on the Department of Health website.
Food safety
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has advised:
- avian influenza is not known to transmit to humans via food
- it is safe to eat properly cooked chicken meat and eggs
- commercially pasteurised milk products are safe to consume.
If your backyard animals are showing sign of disease, you should not consume any of their products (e.g. milk, eggs).
Vaccination
There is currently no specific vaccine to protect people from avian influenza. However, getting an annual flu vaccination is important. It is recommended anyone 6 months or older gets one every year. Although it does not protect you from avian influenza, it:
- protects you from getting sick with human flu and bird flu at the same time
- reduces the risk of seasonal flu and bird flu viruses mixing to create a more dangerous influenza virus.
It’s especially important for wild bird or poultry workers and other people at greater risk of exposure to get their annual flu vaccination.
Additional information for people who work with wild birds, poultry and wildlife:
- CDNA national guidelines for avian influenza – Protecting people who work with birds and wildlife | Australian Centre for Disease Control – information for employers and managers
- Bird flu toolkit for people who work with birds | Australian Centre for Disease Control
Additional information about flu vaccinations:
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