Avian Flu
About Avian Flu
Avian influenza (flu) is also known as bird flu. A non-human flu virus causes this infection in birds. Bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds – like chickens and ducks – very sick and can kill them.
Bird flu viruses do not usually infect humans, but this latest outbreak of bird flu has infected people, mainly in Southeast Asian countries. When the illness infects people, it is very serious and over half the people sick with bird flu have died. It has not been found in birds or people in the United States (as of Winter 2006).
People get bird flu from contact with infected birds. Infected birds shed the virus in saliva and feces droppings. A person can catch bird flu when an infected chicken coughs or sneezes onto a person’s face, or when a person breathes in bird dropping particles.
People may also get the virus by eating undercooked poultry. You cannot get the virus by eating properly cooked poultry or eggs so be sure your poultry is fully cooked.
If you were exposed to bird flu, you could have symptoms for up to 14 days. Symptoms usually include the flu-like symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, shortness of breath and even eye infections. Serious cases of bird flu cause life-threatening breathing problems including pneumonia. It can even cause death.
Healthcare providers will treat patients depending on their symptoms. Depending on how serious the symptoms, treatment may include supportive care, use of anti-viral medicines, or even hospitalization.
Scientists and health professionals are concerned about bird flu because the current virus in birds may change and develop into a virus that will spread easily from one person to another, causing the next pandemic in humans. Because it is not possible to prevent or stop a pandemic once it begins, the pandemic flu can cause serious illness and death.
There is no vaccine for bird flu. To protect yourself against bird flu, health officials recommend you take the same steps you would to protect yourself against any other flu or cold.