The avian flu virus, or influenza A. (courtesy Metro Air and Water)
"Bird flu," or avian flu, is a form of influenza A that primarily afflicts birds, but hundreds of human infections have been reported since 1997. The majority of influenza A infections that occur in humans are the result of direct contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. Symptoms of the avian flu range from mild conditions, including conjunctivitis and nausea to more severe symptoms, including upper respiratory problems and death. Treatment for influenza A generally involves vaccination, isolation and prevention of the disease spreading to other patients.
History
While scientists have known about avian flu in birds for over 50 years, the first known human infection occurred in 1997. Since 2003, more than 400 people have contracted the avian flu and more than 261 people have died from the disease. The majority of deaths were concentrated in Asia, with 115 confirmed deaths in Indonesia, 56 in Vietnam and 25 in China. Over 40 countries have confirmed human infection with influenza A.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the avian bird flu range from more mild conditions (including eye infections and conjunctivitis), to flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches) to more severe respiratory symptoms (including pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and viral pneumonia). Many afflicted patients have also reported nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and neurological changes.
Precautions
Travelers visiting influenza-afflicted countries should take simple precautions to protect their health. Good hygiene, including hand washing before and after meals, is important. You should avoid confinement in public spaces -- subways, trains and planes -- when in areas of high influenza activity. Any contact with birds should be limited, and gowns, face masks and gloves should be worn at all times to prevent the spread of the illness from animal to human.
Treatments
Vaccinations have been produced to help fight the spread of influenza A, but because there are so many strains of the virus, vaccinations are not always effective or reliable. Patients who have traveled to a country with avian influenza activity and are hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness no more than 10 days later should be managed using isolation precautions, which includes careful hand hygiene, the use of gloves and gowns during all patient contact and goggles when within 3 feet of the patient. These precautions should continue for two weeks after the initial diagnosis is established or the patient recovers from the illness.
Misconceptions
Influenza A is not spread by consuming products made with bird or swine ingredients. The virus is capable of spreading aerobically; however, such instances are rare and scientists have not yet identified the conditions for this characteristic. Although the virus is commonly spread to chickens and other fowl, it is capable of spreading to all birds and is also transmitted to host carriers, including pigs and humans.
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