Avian Influenza / Bird Flu

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Avian influenza (also known as bird flu) is a type of influenza virulent in birds. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide.These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

Avian Influenza in Humans

While avian influenza spreads rapidly among birds, it does not infect humans easily, and there is no confirmed evidence of human-to-human transmission. Of the 15 subtypes known, only subtypes H5 and H7 are known to be capable of crossing the species barrier.

The symptoms of avian influenza in humans are akin to those of human influenza, ie. fever, sore throat, cough and in severe cases pneumonia.

Human deaths from avian influenza were unknown until 1997, when six people in Hong Kong died from the particularly virulent H5N1 strain.

In January 2004, a major new outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza surfaced again in Vietnam and Thailand's poultry industry, and within weeks spread to ten countries and regions in Asia, including Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and China. Intensive efforts were undertaken to slaughter chickens, ducks and geese (over 40 million chickens alone were slaughtered in high-infection areas), and the outbreak was contained by March, but the total human death toll in Vietnam and Thailand was 23 people.

Prevention and Treatment

Avian influenza in humans can be detected reliably with standard influenza tests. Antiviral drugs are clinically effective in both preventing and treating the disease. Vaccines, however, take at least four months to produce and must be prepared for each subtype.