Humans contract bird flu from infected birds.
Bird flu, also called avian flu or H5N1, is a disease that causes respiratory symptoms and death in birds. The avian flu is highly contagious between birds, and it can cause large numbers of birds or livestock to quickly die. Human cases of bird flu are often due to exposure to infected birds.
Contact with Birds
Contact with infected birds is the main way of contracting bird flu. Farmers or people who keep livestock are more likely to be exposed to the flu if their birds become ill. They are in constant contact with the animals while feeding, watering and caring for them. Infected birds shed the virus through secretions (such as nasal secretions and saliva) as well as excretion. The birds end up with the virus all over their feathers because it is present in the area where they are living. The virus can survive for a long period of time, so that humans touching the animals may contract the virus and become ill.
Exposure to Feathers
Poultry that is sick, or lives with other sick birds, may be contaminated with the virus that causes bird flu. The animals have dust from fecal matter on and under their wings, and if this fecal matter is from infected birds, the virus has contaminated the feathers. The bird flu virus can live on feathers for one week at room temperature and three weeks in the cold, according to National Public Radio. If a human is exposed to contaminated feathers, from a chicken intended for consumption or feathers in bedding or clothing, that person may contract the virus.
Human-to-Human Contact
There have been cases reported of humans transmitting the bird flu to other humans, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that these cases are poorly documented and not widespread. The CDC suggests that it is a possibility that the virus may in the future be transmitted through contact with another sick human, but as of May 2010 that is not a risk.
Raw or Undercooked Meat
Consuming raw or undercooked meat from a bird infected with the avian flu is a route of transmission for humans. Cooking poultry properly to 170 degrees Fahrenheit will kill the virus that causes bird flu so that meat is safe for consumption.
Environmental Contact
Cleaning or being in an area where infected birds have been present is a risk for transmitting bird flu to humans. Fecal matter, saliva and other secretions from ill birds may be present in straw, grass and dirt where the birds have lived. Humans moving straw, grass or dirt can cause particles containing the virus to be released as dust and inhaled. Particles may also be present on unwashed hands, which can then be inhaled or enter the body through eyes or mucous membranes. Wearing gloves, washing hands and wearing a mask while working in areas where infected birds lived reduces the risk of transmission.
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