Bird Flu
Avian flu, commonly known as bird flu, is a disease that usually occurs inside birds, often causing severe problems for the poultry industry. The flu is an influenza variant that occurs inside both domesticated and wild birds. The very first instances of bird flu were reported in the late 1990s. Since then, several variants have shown up in different parts of the world.
The Causes
The key factor to understand about bird flu is the fact that it predominantly occurs inside birds and is highly contagious for them. Although it typically originates in wild animals, it can make its way to domesticated birds. Its presence in human beings was discovered in 1997 when the H5N1 strain was first reported in a person.
The virus makes its way inside the saliva and excretions of birds. That makes it incredibly hard to control since domesticated birds often live in proximity, making the already highly contagious bird flu easy to spread. But how does the bird flu get to humans? The people most at risk can help answer that. The population at risk of bird flu includes:
- Poultry farmers
- A person exposed to the infected birds.
- Someone traveling through an exposed area.
- Healthcare workers or household members dealing with infected patients.
- Anyone who enjoys undercooked poultry or eggs.
This makes the bird flu a rare disease for humans. In fact, since 2003, there have been a total of 862 cases of the H5N1 influenza strain discovered inside humans from a total of 17 countries. That is low for a virus that is so dangerous.
However, the bird flu is incredibly dangerous for human beings. Of the 862 cases reported in the last 18 years, 53% proved to be fatal. Although bird flu might not get to humans often, it proves to be incredibly dangerous when it does.
The Symptoms
The initial symptoms of bird flu are often the same as a regular flu infection. You might have a runny nose, a sore throat, and experience some sneezing. These symptoms can progress rapidly and create serious complications such as high fevers, weakness, aching muscles, chills, a dry cough, nasal congestion, and fatigue. These symptoms can increase the risk of secondary infections such as ear infections, pneumonia, or bronchitis.
You might not feel the need to consult a doctor at the start and may mistake it for a regular flu infection. However, if you are at risk from influenza, you must seek medical help as soon as the symptoms start to become severe.
Treatment and Protection
There is no actual vaccine for the bird flu since the virus mutates in the same way as influenza. However, getting a flu shot can decrease the chances of infection while also protecting from the development of pneumonia and other serious secondary infections. Treatment for a person with bird flu usually involves antiviral medicine such as zanamivir.
To protect yourself from the bird flu, make sure to keep away from infected areas and people and avoid eating runny eggs or uncooked meat. If you work with poultry, make sure to have your birds tested regularly and take all necessary precautions when working with them.