Pandemic Threat Level

Australian Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza—June 2005, developed by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing

Two phases may be referred to simultaneously, for example, one phase for what is occurring overseas and one phase for Australia. The phases are intended to guide actions rather than be a strict categorisation of the events.

Period	Global Phase	Australian Phase	Description of Phase	Main Strategy
Inter-pandemic		Aus 0	No circulating animal influenza subtypes in Australia that have caused human disease.	Containment
	1	Overseas 1	Animal infection overseas: the risk of human infection or disease is considered low.
	1	Aus 1	Animal infection in Australia: the risk of human infection or disease is considered low.
	2	Overseas 2	Animal infection overseas: substantial risk of human disease.
	2	Aus 2	Animal infection in Australia: substantial risk of human disease.
Pandemic Alert	3	Overseas 3	Human infection overseas with new subtype(s) but no human to human spread or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.
	3	Aus 3	Human infection in Australia with new subtype(s) but no human to human spread or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.
	4	Overseas 4	Human infection overseas: small cluster(s) consistent with limited human to human transmission, spread highly localised, suggesting the virus is not well adapted to humans.
	4	Aus 4	Human infection in Australia: small cluster(s) consistent with limited human to human transmission, spread highly localised, suggesting the virus is not well adapted to humans.
	5	Overseas 5	Human infection overseas: larger cluster(s) but human to human transmission still localised, suggesting the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully adapted (substantial pandemic risk).
	5	Aus 5	Human infection in Australia: larger cluster(s) but human to human transmission still localised, suggesting the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully adapted (substantial pandemic risk).
Pandemic	6	Overseas 6	Pandemic overseas- not in Australia: increased and sustained transmission in general population.	Maintain essential services
		Aus 6a	Pandemic in Australia: localised (one area of country).
		Aus 6b	Pandemic in Australia: widespread.
		Aus 6c	Pandemic in Australia: subsided.
		Aus 6d	Pandemic in Australia: next wave.