Avian influenza, also known as 'bird flu', is an infectious disease of birds, which can also affect humans in rare cases. While there is no evidence that bird flu is affecting birds or humans in Australia at the present time, there have been a number of recent cases of the more serious strain of the virus (H5N1) in some Asian countries and parts of Europe.

To help people working in agriculture and the general community better understand bird flu, and what measures are being taken to help protect the NSW poultry industry and birds in general, a series of fact sheets have been prepared along with a series of commonly asked questions and answers.