FAQ About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu), H5N1 - A Type Of Avian Influenza Virus

FAQ About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

H5N1 - A Type Of Avian Influenza Virus

In this article you can frequently asked questions about one type of bird flu, called avian influenza A (H5N1) that is infecting birds in Asia and has infected some humans.

Question: What is avian influenza (bird flu)?

Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. Bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

Question: Do bird flu viruses infect humans?

Bird flu viruses do not usually infect humans, but several cases of human infection with bird flu viruses have occurred since 1997.

Question: What are the symptoms of bird flu in humans?

Symptoms of bird flu in humans can be similar to those resulting from typical flu-like symptoms, like fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches. Other severe symptoms are eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases, and other severe and life-threatening complications.

Question: How does bird flu spread?

Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. The transmission of bird flu from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely.


Question: How is bird flu in humans treated?

Studies done in laboratories suggest that the prescription medicines approved for human flu viruses should work in preventing bird flu infection in humans.

Question: What is the risk to humans from bird flu?

The risk from bird flu is generally low to most people because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry (domesticated chicken, ducks, turkeys), there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with excretions from infected birds. In such situations, people should avoid contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces, and should be careful when handling and cooking poultry. In rare instances, limited human-to-human spread of H5N1 virus has occurred, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person.

Question: Is there a vaccine to protect humans from H5N1 virus?

There currently is no commercially available vaccine to protect humans against the H5N1 virus that is being seen in Asia and Europe. However, vaccine development efforts are taking place.


H5N1 is a type of avian influenza virus (bird flu virus) that has mutated[1] through antigenic drift into dozens of highly pathogenic varieties, but all currently belonging to genotype Z of avian influenza virus H5N1. Genotype Z emerged through reassortment in 2002 from earlier highly pathogenic genotypes of H5N1[2] that first appeared in China in 1996 in birds and in Hong Kong in 1997 in humans[3]. The "H5N1 viruses from human infections and the closely related avian viruses isolated in 2004 and 2005 belong to a single genotype, often referred to as genotype Z." [1]

The avian influenza subtypes that have been confirmed in humans, ordered by the number of known human deaths, are: H1N1 caused Spanish flu, H2N2 caused Asian Flu, H3N2 caused Hong Kong Flu, H5N1, H7N7, H9N2, H7N2, H7N3, H10N7.

All avian influenza (AI) viruses are type A influenza virus in the virus family of Orthomyxoviridae and all known strains of influenza A virus infect birds. Influenzavirus type A is subdivided into subtypes based on hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) protein spikes from the central virus core. There are 16 H types, each with up to 9 N subtypes, yielding a potential for 144 different H and N combinations.

Avian influenza (also known as bird flu, avian flu, influenzavirus A flu, type A flu, or genus A flu) is a flu due to a type of influenza virus that is hosted by birds, but may infect several species of mammals.

An influenza pandemic is a large scale epidemic of the influenza virus, such as the 1918 Spanish flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that there is a substantial risk of an influenza pandemic within the next few years. One of the strongest candidates is the A(H5N1) subtype of avian influenza.

A myxovirus of the genus Influenzavirus, antigenically varying from influenza virus type A and influenza virus type C, that causes various respiratory illnesses in humans.

A myxovirus of the genus Influenzavirus, antigenically varying from influenza virus type B and influenza virus type C, that causes acute respiratory illness in humans.

Influenza caused by infection with a strain of influenza virus type C.

People should get vaccine who are:

People 65 years of age or older.

Resident of nursing home and other chronic-care facilities.

Adults and adolescents with chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular disorders, including asthma.

Health care workers, care givers and others who might transmit influenza virus to persons at high-risk for complications from infection.

People who are less able to fight infections because of a disease they are born with, infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), treatment with medications such as long-term steroids, and/or treatment for cancer with X-rays or medications.

Adults and adolescents who required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year because of chronic illnesses (including diabetes mellitus), kidney diseases, and blood cell diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the flu season (December - March).

Persons 6 months to 18 years of age who receive long-term aspirin therapy and therefore might be at risk for developing Reye syndrome after influenza.

Refer:

http://www.epharmacypremium.com

http://www.flu-information.be