Australia has confirmed its first human case of avian (bird) influenza in a child who may have been "infected by the virus in India" but has now since fully recovered.
The H5N1 strain of avian flu, responsible for devastating billions of bird populations worldwide and infecting various mammal species, was identified in the child.
"This is the first confirmed human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Australia," said Dr Claire Looker, Victoria's chief health officer, in a statement.
She noted that while the child experienced a severe infection, they have since made a full recovery. This case marks the first detection of H5N1 in a person or animal in Australia.
