The Basics Of Bird Flu
Bird flu or avian flu is an influenza virus type that normally
infects birds. However, it can also infect other animals
including pigs. Wild birds are natural hosts to the virus and
normally don't get sick from it. But domestic animals such as
chickens and turkeys could be severely affected. Humans, on the
other hand, can be infected with influenza types A, B, and C.
Genetic changes and sharing can occur under certain
circumstances. This could happen in crowded conditions where
poultry, pigs, and people live in close quarters. This change
could allow a virus to turn into more infectious to humans. This
could also mean that the virus can more easily transmitted from
person to person. This is precisely when a pandemic could break
out.
The avian flu's jump to humans was first detected in 1997.
Though there have been around 60 human deaths reported, they
have been due to transmission from animals to humans. Migratory
birds have been detected with the virus and these cannot be
caught and killed - these birds have alreadd carried the virus
to Europe and Africa. It is difficult to predict when the
pandemic could break out - It all depends on when that genetic
shift (from birds to humans) takes place.
For now, there has been no detection of this virus in the U.S.
It is however possible for travelers to be infected, but most of
cases in humans have been in those with closer contact to birds
than a casual traveler has. Since the infection occurs via
fecal-oral route, people are advised to reduce their risk while
traveling by avoiding bird markets, zoos, and areas in parks,
where there could be high concentrations of bird feces.
Countries that are the most vulnerable to this flu are
Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia, due to their high
concentration of bird markets. Other areas include Thailand,
China (south and north), Tibet, Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia.
Symptoms of bird flu in humans have ranged from typical flu-like
symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches) to eye
infections and pneumonia. If you feel you've been exposed, there
are a couple of treatment recommendations available today that
you may want to discuss with your doctor. Until these are tested
in a pandemic, however, their true efficacy is unknown. There
are currently no vaccines available, but many companies are
working on them.
More information on Avian Flu and preventive measures can be had
from Bird Flu
Prevention