Bird flu avian flu


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Bird Flu

You've probably heard news reports about bird flu (also called avian flu).
So what is it? And should you be worried? We've put together some of
the common questions people have about bird flu along with answers to
help put everything in perspective.

What Is Bird Flu?





Avian flu is caused by a form of influenza virus that usually only
infects birds and sometimes infects pigs. The few people who have become
sick or died from the bird flu had direct contact with infected birds.

Like the flu that affects humans, there are lots of different strains
(varieties) of bird flu. Some only cause mild symptoms in birds, such
as reduced egg production. Other strains are more dangerous to birds —
they spread quickly, cause more severe symptoms, and almost always kill
the birds.

The strain of bird flu that has infected people in Asia and the
Middle East recently is called H5N1. H5N1 is one of the strains that are
dangerous to birds.

The people who became infected with the H5N1 strain of avian flu
caught it directly from birds. It has not been proven that H5N1 can be spread from person to person.

Why Are People So Worried About It?



Experts are concerned that the H5N1 strain of bird flu could mutate
(change) into a new form that can rapidly spread from person to person.
This has happened in past flu outbreaks and has caused what is known as a
pandemic. A pandemic is a global outbreak of a disease that causes serious illness in people and spreads quickly throughout populations.

Vaccines can help keep a virus infection from spreading and causing a
pandemic. Although there is no vaccine for the H5N1 flu virus right
now, scientists are working on one.What Are We Doing About It?





The good news is that we have more information and resources
available today than we did when the last flu pandemic occurred more
than 30 years ago. Health officials around the world are working
together to try to make sure that bird flu doesn't spread — and to keep
people safe if it does. Experts believe only about 387 people have
contracted the disease in the last 5 years.

In an effort to keep bird flu from spreading, authorities in
countries that have experienced outbreaks have destroyed hundreds of
millions of birds.

Three countries (Japan, Korea, and Malaysia) have controlled their
outbreaks of the H5N1 strain and officials report there is no more virus
in these nations.

Countries that have not had any outbreaks — including the United
States — have stopped importing poultry from countries that have had
avian flu outbreaks. Meanwhile, scientists are working on a vaccine to
keep people from getting the avian flu.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring the
countries where there have been outbreaks to see if the virus spreads or
mutates in a way that makes it more threatening to people. The
organization has created an emergency plan to handle a pandemic,
including stockpiling antiviral medications to help
people if they do become infected. Although antiviral medicines don't
cure the infection, they can make an infected person's symptoms less
severe.

How Does Bird Flu Spread?



Migrating birds, like ducks, geese, and swans, can carry and spread
the virus to other birds — often across country borders. Some of these
migratory birds don't seem to get sick from bird flu, but domesticated
birds like chickens and turkeys can die from it.

A bird can get bird flu from another bird by coming into close
contact with its infected feces (poop), secretions, or saliva. Birds can
also get sick if they come into contact with dirt, cages, or any
surfaces that have been contaminated by sick birds. That's why
researchers think live bird markets, where birds are kept in close
quarters, are places where the virus has spread quickly.

The virus can also spread from farm to farm if birds' infected feces
and saliva get on farming equipment, like tractor wheels, clothing, and
cages.

It's unlikely that a person who gets infected with the H5N1 strain of
the avian flu will spread it to other people. All the human cases of
bird flu so far have happened because people got it directly from
infected birds. These people lived in rural areas, where many families
keep small household poultry flocks that they butcher themselves.
Poultry also roam freely in some of those areas, and there are lots of
opportunities to be exposed to their infected feces.How Can You Protect Yourself?



In most places, there is no immediate threat to
humans from bird flu. The best way to protect yourself is by doing the
same things you do to protect yourself from any contagious illness. No
matter where you live and how healthy you are, be sure to thoroughly
wash your hands with soap and water many times a day, particularly after
going to the bathroom and before preparing meals and eating.

Wash your hands frequently if you're around someone who is sick.
Don't share that person's food or eating utensils. It's also a good idea
to wash your hands if you've touched a surface that lots of people have
been using, such as a door handle.

You can also protect yourself by taking proper food safety
precautions. For example, never eat undercooked or uncooked poultry. And
always wash any kitchen surfaces that have had uncooked meat on them,
not just to protect against flu but also to protect against other things
that can make you sick, such as salmonella bacteria. Separate raw meat
from cooked or ready-to-eat foods. And don't use the same cutting
boards, knives, or utensils that are used on uncooked meats on other
foods.

If you're going to a country where there has been an outbreak of bird
flu, talk with your doctor and visit the websites of agencies like the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the WHO. The CDC posts travel
warnings on its website.

If you are in a country where there has been a bird flu outbreak,
avoid any contact with chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, turkeys, quail,
or any wild birds. Stay away from live bird markets, local poultry
farms, or any other settings where there might be infected poultry.
Avoid touching surfaces that could have been contaminated by bird
saliva, feces, or urine.

Where Is Bird Flu a Problem Right Now?



Over the past couple of years there have been outbreaks of H5N1 among
birds in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. So far, human cases
have been confirmed in several countries in Asia and the Middle East.



Will Bird Flu Become a Concern in the United States?



The H5N1 bird flu virus has not been found in birds or humans in the
United States. So unless there's a global outbreak of avian flu in
people, it's unlikely that bird flu will become a problem in the United
States.

But no one yet knows if there will be a global outbreak. The H5N1
strain of the virus has been around since 1997. The longer it lingers
and spreads among birds, the more opportunities there will be for the
virus to infect people. The more people who are infected with the virus,
the more opportunities the virus will have to mutate into a form that
could spread from person to person. That could lead to a pandemic.What Are the Signs That a Pandemic Is Happening?



If clusters of people start showing symptoms of the flu in a country
where it's known that the virus is spreading, that's a sign that the
virus may have mutated in a way that allows it to more readily spread
from person to person. Doctors and public health officials would try to
find out how the people got sick. They would then use that information
to try to track and stop the disease from spreading.

What Are the Symptoms of Bird Flu in Humans?



The symptoms of bird flu in people tend to be similar to the typical
flu: fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches. But this flu can also lead
to eye infections, pneumonia, and severe coughing and breathing
problems.

Can My Pet Bird Get It?



A pet bird could get avian flu if it is exposed to another bird
that's carrying the virus. Here are some things you can do to protect
your bird and yourself:

• Keep your bird and its food and water inside, away from any place
  where it could be exposed to infected migrating or domestic birds. Don't
  allow your bird to drink or eat from ponds or other places outdoors
  that migrating birds may have flown over.
  
• Keep your pet bird's cage clean.
  
• Wash your hands after handling your pet bird, cleaning its cage, or
  after having any contact with your bird's secretions (like saliva,
  feces, or urine).
  

U.S. government officials have put a stop to imports of live birds
and bird products (like meat and eggs) from countries where there have
been outbreaks of bird flu. So if you buy a pet bird, it should not have
been exposed to the virus. However, there is an illegal market for
buying and selling exotic birds (like parrots, for example). So just to
be safe, before you buy a bird to keep as a pet, find out where it was
born and raised.

If you have any questions about buying a pet bird or your own bird's health, contact a veterinarian.Should I Stop Eating Chicken and Turkey?



It's safe to eat properly cooked chicken, turkey, and any other
poultry in the United States. Heat can destroy flu viruses, so cook
poultry so that the temperature of the meat reaches at least 158°
Fahrenheit (70° Celsius). Do not eat uncooked or undercooked poultry or
poultry products.

Should I Get a Flu Shot?



Yes. Although you can't get vaccinated against bird flu yet, experts still encourage people to get their flu shots — especially people who are in high-risk groups. Researchers are working to develop an effective vaccine against the bird flu.

How Is Bird Flu Treated?



Doctors hope that certain antiviral medications will help keep the
flu from spreading if it becomes contagious to humans. These medications
can't cure bird flu, but they can make the symptoms less severe.

Flu viruses can become resistant to medications, so they may not
always work. That's why experts constantly study and test medications to
determine their effectiveness and develop better ones.