What is bird flu: an overview?

The bird flu is a disease that is caused by the infection called avian influenza viruses. The avian means bird that is why this disease is called bird flu. This avian influenza virus naturally does not occur in humans, it is generate in birds. Bird flu virus is carried by wild birds in their intestine. That is how this virus is transmitted worldwide. The wild birds do not generally get sick from them. However, this virus can be contaminated among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them. Contaminated birds shed the bird flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Other birds become infected with this virus when they contact with the contaminated secretions or excretions. The virus can also be transmitted from the contact with surfaces that are contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds. Symptoms of avian influenza in humans are very similar to that of the normal influenza symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. The symptoms of avian influenza normally depend upon the virus which has caused the infection.

The forms of the disease:

There is a large variety of this influenza virus. The most common virus is H5N1 virus. The avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry causes can be distinguished in two types. The two main forms of disease are distinguished by low and high extremes of this virulence in birds. The low pathogenic form of this disease may go undetected because it generally causes only mild symptoms such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production. However, the highly pathogenic form spreads more rapidly and affects multiple internal organs. The highly pathogenic virus has a mortality rate that can reach 90-100% often within 48 hours.

Human infection

Generally the avian influenza virus refers to influenza. Bird flu virus is found chiefly in birds, but infections with these viruses can contaminate humans also humans. The risk from avian influenza is very low but some confirmed cases of human infection from avian influenza infection have been reported since 1997. Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry products or surfaces contaminated with secretion or excretions from infected birds.