What is Bird Flu or Avian Influenza ?
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the Bird Flu outbreak in Asia could set off an epidemic worse than severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS and is now spreading to a greater number of countries, including Vietnam, Thailand and, most recently to Cambodia. The first cases of humans infected by Avian Flu have now been confirmed in Thailand
The poultry disease or Bird Flu in Thailand, Vietnam and other South Asian countries is an animal type of influenza called the H7N7 "classical" strain of Avian Influenza, where classical Avian Influenza can range from a mild disease that has only minor effects to a highly infectious version that is can become fatal. The Bird Flu or Avian Influenza virus spreads in the air and in the manure of poultry.
The H7N7 strain of Avian Influenza can also be transmitted by contaminated feed, water, equipment and clothing. Clinically normal waterfowl and sea birds may introduce the virus into flocks. Broken contaminated eggs may infect chicks in the incubator.
Is Bird Flu harmful for humans ?
Human fatalities from avian influenza were unknown before 1997, when six people in Hong Kong died after being infected with the H5N1 strain. Last year it infected a father and son in the crowded city of Hong Kong.
Last April, a Dutch veterinarian who had been working on a farm infected with Bird Flu became ill with an H7 strain of the disease and died of pneumonia. The vet did not take medication against avian and human flu. Rules have been tightened to ensure anyone who comes in contact with infected farms does so.
Other Dutch farm workers have come down with eye infections caused by the virus and a few have also had influenza symptoms, but these have all been successfully treated with medication.
South Korea, which has already culled nearly two million chickens and ducks, reported last Tuesday the first new case of Avian Flu in more than a week, dashing hopes that the outbreak was subsiding.
Japan reported its first Bird Flu outbreak in years last week and five people have died of the disease in Vietnam.
Could Bird Flu become a human epidemic ?
Although Avian Flu is very infectious in birds, in the past it did not spread easily among humans.
This time, there is however a danger, that if the H7N7 strain of Avian Influenza mutates with human influenza, it would create a completely new disease. This new virus could share genetic material from both viruses, being highly infectious like human flu and at the same time being dangerously fatal like the avian variety.
Dr Shigeru Omi of the World Health Organization has said the consequences would be horrible if the Bird Flu virus latched on to the human influenza virus and started to spread among the population, who would not have any immune protection against the this new influenza strain.
New mutated influenza strains have caused world pandemics, most recently in 1956-1957 and 1967-1968, killing a combined 4.5 million people in the world.
Clinical diagnosis of Bird Flu:
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) says the incubation period for the Bird Fly or Avian Influenza disease in poultry is 3-5 days. It has various affects on birds, ranging from severe depression to drastic declines in egg production and sudden deaths. There is no treatment available currently.
Eating chicken meat from Thailand:
There is no evidence that Avian Flu could be transmitted from processed poultry products or chicken meat products in general. "There has been no case of somebody getting avian flu through eating," Jorgen Schlundt, director of WHO's food safety program, confirmed.
