Accident settlement for avian influenza in travel health insurance.

Among those infectious diseases that lead to insurance settlement for damages, we normally list those cases that do not involve person-to-person transmission, but rather those cases wherein the harmful agent enters the body without the intention of the person harmed, and which causes acute infectious disease or food poisoning. This is the way in which, for example, tick-borne encephalitis following an insect bite, rabies caused by animal bites, and acute food poisoning contracted in restaurants or from public catering arise. We can also list among the latter those cases of avian influenza illness, which arise through the involuntary consumption of infected animal meat (not ignoring occupational health and safety regulations). These insurance cases arise particularly when travel to countries with a high level of infection of livestock with avian influenza is involved. In these cases of illness, there is justification for including an accident indemnity payment--in addition to covering the costs related to health care--within the remit of travel health insurance.