AviFluMap: a H5 Bird Flu Model Tool

Initiated by Wildlife Health Australia (WHA) and developed by Deakin University in collaboration with BirdLife Australia, the AviFluMap is the result of extensive cross-sector collaboration with funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The project is also the result of international collaboration, with key input from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany.

Built on a strong foundation of existing data and expert knowledge of wild bird ecology, AviFluMap integrates multiple layers of information to provide a clear, evidence-based picture of known and emerging H5 bird flu risks.

The tool:

• Identifies and maps global sites where H5 bird flu outbreaks have recently occurred
• Maps the migratory routes of wild bird species that may carry H5 bird flu to Australia
• Pinpoints Australian locations where these birds are likely to arrive and where local wild bird populations reside—informing potential consequences of virus arrival and spread
• Models the susceptibility of Australian bird species to H5 bird flu infection and associated sickness and death.