After confirming the first human death from bird flu in Mexico, concern grew about the spread of the disease. In recent weeks, cases of the virus have been confirmed in United States and Australia, Therefore, health authorities have focused on preventive measures.
According to World Health Organization (WHO)avian flu is an infectious disease that affects birds and is caused by a virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae. Most influenza viruses circulating in birds are not zoonotic, however, some highly pathogenic strains have the ability to infect humans.
Causes and subtypes of bird flu
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In the US, three cases of bird flu were confirmed in Michigan and Texas, while Australia recorded one.
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Avian flu occurs in wild waterfowl and can be spread to domestic birds as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese with droppings or secretions from their nose, mouth or eyes. Besides, the undercooked meat or eggs of infected birds can transmit the disease
Meanwhile, poultry is safe to eat if it is cooked thoroughly to a internal temperature of 165°F. Eggs should be cooked until the yolks and whites are firm.
According to your subtypeavian flu can be classified as low pathogenicity or highly pathogenic, which causes the symptoms to differ. In the first case it can cause a mild sickness, without presence of symptoms.
The highly pathogenic virus, especially subtypes (H5 and H7) of type Acauses a serious disease in birds that can spread quickly and cause high mortality rates in them.
Bird flu symptoms
The symptoms of the bird flu They usually appear 2 to 7 days since contagion. The symptoms most common are:
- Cough
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Muscle pains
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- Sometimes people also have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- In some cases, a mild eye infection (conjunctivitis) may be the only sign of the disease.
Treatment for bird flu
The truth is that many influenza viruses have become resistant to some antiviral drugs, such as amantadine and rimandadine.
For that reason, public health authorities recommend oseltamivir or zanamivir as a treatment for avian flu. In both cases, they can be taken within two days after the first symptoms appear.
Bird flu in humans
Due to the confirmed cases and the circulation of the virus in different mammals, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) They warned that they warned about “the possibility of an increased risk to human health” from bird flu infections.
Although, they explained that the virus that is currently circulating does not have the capacity to spread easily between people, this “You can change“and start infecting humans more easily.
The biggest risk factor for bird flu is contact with sick birds or surfaces contaminated by their feathers, saliva or excrement. In very few cases, bird flu was transmitted from one human to another.
However, in some people it can be life-threatening and lead to complications such as pneumonia, conjunctivitis, respiratory failure, kidney dysfunction and heart problems.
Prevention methods
According to the CDC, for avoid contagion and spread of the virusIt is important to take into account the following points:
- Avoid direct contact with wild birds and other animals possibly infected with avian influenza viruses. and limit yourself to observing them from afar, if possible. Wild birds can be infected by avian influenza A viruses even if they do not appear sick.
- Avoid unprotected contact with domestic birds or other animals that appear sick or dead. or who have suspected or confirmed infection with avian influenza virus.
- Do not touch surfaces that could be contaminated with saliva, mucous membrane, feces, raw milk, bedding or contaminated materials by wild birds or domestic birds or other animals with suspected or confirmed infection with avian influenza virus.
