To date there has been no detection of the Avian Influenza virus (H5N1) in Australia and there has been no evidence of efficient human-to-human spread anywhere in the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates the global response to human cases of H5N1 and monitors the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. The WHO tracks the number of laboratory confirmed human cases of H5N1. To see the latest report go to the World Health Organization website
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The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides an emergency response portal for tourism stakeholders to track events and help in response activities.
The UNWTO advises that:
- Avian Flu is a disease essentially impacting fowl. There are rare cases where the disease has passed to animals or humans. No efficient human-to-human transmission strain has developed and public education reduces the risk of avian-to-human transmission.
- There is no present threat to tourists and there is no case for restricting travel. However, if travelling to flu-infected localities, the best advice is to avoid contact with live birds of any variety.