Helping Australians know what to do about H5 bird flu

The Albanese Labor Government continues to respond to H5 bird flu in Australia with a new national information campaign today launched to help Australians know what to do. 

The ‘Bird flu. Know what to do’ campaign will provide practical, trusted information to Australians to help them protect wildlife, poultry and pets from the threats of H5 bird flu. 

The campaign, which is part of the Albanese Labor Government’s more than $270 million H5 bird flu response, will run across television, digital, radio and social media channels. 

It will encourage Australians to take simple steps to know the signs of bird flu, avoid touching sick or dead birds, report suspected cases to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline, and take precautions to protect pets and backyard poultry. 

The Albanese Labor Government’s more than $270 million investment in bird flu preparedness and response includes boosting surveillance and on-ground response capability, vaccine preparation and rollout expertise, wildlife protection measures and biosecurity upgrades. 

To date, there has been 652 H5 bird flu events nationally, and over 51,000 H5 calls to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline. 

There remain no detections of H5 bird flu in Australian poultry or in Australia’s agricultural production system, and the risk to human health remains low. 

Australians can visit birdflu.gov.au for trusted, up-to-date advice on what to do. 

Quotes attributable to Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP: 

“Our Government has been planning for the arrival of H5 bird flu for years, and this campaign is about ensuring everyday Australians know what to do to prepare for and respond to this virus as we continue to see more detections. 

“This campaign gives Australians clear, trusted and practical advice so they know where to find information, how to protect pets and backyard poultry, and what to do if they find sick or dead wildlife. 

“This builds on the significant work we’ve undertaken with industry and states and territories to help strengthen Australia’s H5 bird flu preparedness and response capability, backed by our Government’s more than $270 million investment.”