Bird flu (avian influenza)
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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.
Outbreaks of bird flu have occurred in Asia, Africa, North America and parts of Europe. Most people who have developed symptoms of bird flu have had close contact with sick birds. In a few cases, bird flu has passed from one person to another. Only sporadic human cases have been reported since 2015.
Health officials worry that a global outbreak could occur if a bird flu virus mutates into a form that transmits more easily from person to person. Researchers are working on vaccines to help protect people from bird flu.
Signs and symptoms of bird flu may begin within two to seven days of infection, depending on the type. In most cases, they resemble those of conventional influenza, including:
Some people also experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. And in a few cases, a mild eye infection (conjunctivitis) is the only indication of the disease.
See your doctor immediately if you develop a fever, cough and body aches and have recently traveled to a part of the world where bird flu occurs. Be sure to let your doctor know if you visited any farms or open-air markets.
Bird flu occurs naturally in wild waterfowl and can spread into domestic poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The disease is transmitted via contact with an infected bird’s feces, or secretions from its nose, mouth or eyes.
Open-air markets, where eggs and birds are sold in crowded and unsanitary conditions, are hotbeds of infection and can spread the disease into the wider community.
Undercooked poultry meat or eggs from infected birds can transmit bird flu. Poultry meat is safe to eat if it’s been cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). Eggs should be cooked until the yolks and whites are firm.
The greatest risk factor for bird flu seems to be contact with sick birds or with surfaces contaminated by their feathers, saliva or droppings. The pattern of human transmission remains mysterious. In very few instances, bird flu has been transmitted from one human to another. But unless the virus begins to spread more easily among people, infected birds present the greatest hazard.
People with bird flu may develop life-threatening complications, including:
Although bird flu may kill more than half the people it infects, the number of fatalities is still low because so few people have had bird flu. Fewer than 500 bird flu deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization since 1997.
In contrast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that seasonal influenza is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the United States alone.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved one vaccine to prevent infection with one strain of H5N1 bird flu virus. This vaccine isn’t available to the public, but the U.S. government is stockpiling it and will distribute it in the event of an outbreak.
This vaccine could be used early in such an outbreak to provide limited protection until another vaccine — designed to protect against the specific form of the virus causing the outbreak — is developed and produced. Researchers continue to work on other types of bird flu vaccines.
If you’re traveling to Southeast Asia or to any region with bird flu outbreaks, consider these public health recommendations:
Because heat destroys avian viruses, cooked poultry isn’t a health threat. Even so, it’s best to take precautions when handling and preparing poultry, which may be contaminated with salmonella or other harmful bacteria.
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Bird flu (avian influenza)
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