Health authorities in Victoria issued a public health alert on Wednesday after confirming the country’s first human case of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
The Victorian Department of Health identified the case as a child who contracted H5N1 avian influenza while traveling abroad in March 2024. The child experienced severe symptoms but has since fully recovered. Officials emphasized there’s no evidence of further human-to-human transmission within the state, as the virus typically doesn’t spread easily between people.
Separately, Victoria’s agriculture department reported detecting the avian influenza virus in poultry at an egg farm near Meredith, roughly 80 kilometers west of Melbourne. Testing confirmed this outbreak is unrelated to the human case.
“We urge all poultry farmers, backyard flock owners, and bird owners to report any unexplained bird deaths to authorities immediately,” the department said in a statement.
