A two-and-a-half-year-old girl in Australia tested positive for H5N1 bird flu and required intensive care treatment after returning from a trip to India, as reported by the World Health Organization on Friday.

"This is the first confirmed human infection caused by avian influenza A (H5N1) virus detected and reported by Australia," said WHO.

"Although the source of exposure to the virus in this case is currently unknown, the exposure likely occurred in India" where the girl had travelled, and where this group of "viruses has been detected in birds in the past", WHO added.

The World Health Organization evaluates the current risk posed by the virus to the general population as low.