What is avian influenza or bird flu?

It is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Influenza Type A viruses which generally affects poultry birds such as chickens and turkeys. There are many strains of the virus – some of them are mild and may merely cause a low egg production or other mild symptoms among chickens, while others are severe and lethal.

H5N1 is the most common form of bird flu. It’s deadly to birds and can easily affect humans and other animals that come in contact with a carrier. According to the World Health Organization Trusted Source, H5N1 was first discovered in humans in 1997 and has killed nearly 60 percentTrusted Source of those infected.

Currently, the virus isn’t known to spread via human-to-human contact. Still, some experts worry that H5N1 may pose a risk of becoming a pandemic threat to humans. Bird flu outbreak: From Kerala to Rajasthan, list of affected states in India

What causes bird flu?

Bird flu is caused by a type of influenza virus that rarely infects humans. More than a dozen types of bird flu have been identified, including the two strains that have most recently infected humans — H5N1 and H7N9. When bird flu does strike humans, it can be deadly.

How does the bird flu spread?

Wild aquatic birds such as ducks and geese are the natural reservoir of Influenza A viruses and the central players in the ecology of these viruses.

Many birds carry the flu without developing sickness, and shed it in their droppings. Since birds excrete even while flying, they provide “a nice aerosol of influenza virus, shedding it all over the world”, in the words of American virology professor Vincent Racaniello.

From water birds, many of whom migrate and travel long distances, the viruses are thus further spread to poultry and terrestrial birds. Sometimes, the virus jumps over to mammals such as pigs, horses, cats and dogs.

What does bird flu do to humans?

Bird flu symptoms in humans can vary and range from “typical” flu symptoms (fever, sore throat, muscle pain) to eye infections and pneumonia. The disease caused by the H5N1 virus is a particularly severe form of pneumonia that leads to viral pneumonia and multiorgan failure in many people who become infected.

When and how did the bird flu start infecting humans?

Bird flu outbreaks have been affecting poultry around the globe for decades, and culling of infected birds has been a common measure to contain the spread. But it was in 1997 when humans are first known to have contracted bird flu following an outbreak in a live bird market of Hong Kong. It was the H5N1 strain of the virus, and 6 out of 18 infected humans died of the disease.

It was contained, but re-emerged a few years later in various other parts of the globe and caused hundreds of human deaths, particularly in Southeast Asia. Movement of infected poultry and migratory birds, and an illegal bird trade are believed to be the causes of the spread. Some mammals such as cats and lions were also infected.

Subsequently, several other strains of the virus such as H5N2 and H9N2 spread from animals to humans, thus becoming a global public health concern.

Does it spread easily to humans?

No, it does not. Generally, people coming in close contact with infected alive or dead birds have contracted the H5N1 bird flu, and it does not usually spread from person to person, as per the WHO. There is also no evidence, the WHO says, that the disease can be spread to people through properly prepared and cooked poultry food. The virus is sensitive to heat, and dies in cooking temperatures.

Bird Flu Symptoms:

Symptoms of bird flu infection appear in a few days. This shows the effect of this vires early than Kovid. Let us know what are the symptoms that can be used to identify whether a person is infected with bird flu virus or not.

• Not able to breathe fully.
• Having a cough.
• Kapha formation and accumulation.
• Headache
• Feeling of vomiting.
• Body numbness with fever.
• Pain in the body.
• Tiredness on working a little.
• Stomach ache.

Bird Flu Treatment

is treated with antiviral drugs. Its medicines have to be consumed within 48 hours of symptoms appearing. If any one gets infected in the house, then the remaining families are also required to take these medicines. Regardless of whether or not other families have symptoms of the disease.

What to do or not

to get the flu vaccine introduced. Avoid going into the market, coming in contact with infected birds. Avoid eating undercooked chicken, undercooked egg, boiled egg etc. at low temperature. Maintain hygiene at home. Wash hands from time to time.

Bird flu in India

In India, no case of bird flu in humans has been detected so far, according to the Union health ministry. The department of animal husbandry has reported 25 episodes of H5N1 bird flu in poultry in 15 states from 2006 (when the first outbreak occurred in Maharashtra and Gujarat) till 2015. It has also been detected in crows.

How bad is the bird flu?

It’s deadly to most birds. And it’s deadly to humans and to other mammals that catch the virus from birds. Since the first human case in 1997, H5N1 has killed nearly 60% of the people who have been infected. But unlike human flu bugs, H5N1 bird flu does not spread easily from person to person.

Does bird flu kill birds?

However, avian influenza A viruses are very contagious among birds and some of these viruses can sicken and even kill certain domesticated bird species including chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Infected birds can shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces.

How to prevent bird flu?

Things you can do to prevent bird flu

• wash your hands often with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling food, in particular raw poultry.
• use different utensils for cooked and raw meat.
• make sure meat is cooked until steaming hot.
• avoid contact with live birds and poultry.

How many people did bird flu kill?

This is the first case of this strain in a human. June 5, 2019 – Since 2013 there have been 1,568 confirmed human cases and 616 deaths worldwide from the H7N9 strain of avian flu, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Is bird flu an epidemic or pandemic?

The first outbreak of human infection by avian influenza viruses (H5N1) was observed in 1997 in Hong Kong. Since then a large number of outbreaks have been reported in different parts of the world. In fact, the spread of avian influenza H5N1 in various species including humans has lead to a current pandemic threat.

Is bird flu airborne?

Avian influenza viruses can be transmitted directly from wild birds to domestic poultry or indirectly e.g. through contaminated material. The virus spreads directly from bird to bird via airborne transmission or indirectly, through faecal contamination of footwear or feed.

Can you get bird flu from eggs?

Rarely, the virus has spread from one person to another. It may also be possible to catch bird flu by eating poultry or eggs that are not well cooked. In some cases, bird flu can cause serious complications and death.

Can bird flu affect dogs?

A: Like cats, dogs are not usually susceptible to avian influenza (AI) viruses; however, one study found that dogs experimentally infected with Guangdong lineage H5N1 HPAI were susceptible. In this study, all dogs were found to have replicating virus.

What year was bird flu?

The year 2005 has been dubbed ‘the year of bird flu’. Across the globe, the fear of avian influenza has caused government officials to place a higher priority on developing plans to deal with pandemic influenza.

Is there a vaccine for bird flu?

On April 17, 2007, FDA licensed the first vaccine in the United States for the prevention of H5N1 influenza, commonly referred to as avian influenza or “bird flu.” This inactivated influenza virus vaccine is for use in people 18 through 64 years of age who are at increased risk of exposure to the H5N1 influenza virus subtype contained in the vaccine. This vaccine is derived from the A/Vietnam/1203/2004 influenza virus. The vaccine is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur Inc. of Swiftwater, PA and has been purchased by the federal government for inclusion within the Nation’s National Stockpile.

This vaccine could be used in the event that the H5N1 avian influenza virus develops the capability to spread efficiently from person to person, resulting in the rapid spread of disease across the globe. Vaccines are critical to help counter the spread of influenza disease during a pandemic.