How does avian influenza affect birds?
How does it spread? Birds can be infected with the avian influenza virus through contact with infected saliva, nasal secretions or faeces. Wild birds including waterfowl are often more resistant to avian influenza than domestic birds, and can carry and transmit the virus without showing evidence of disease.
What does H5N1 do to birds?
Wild birds don’t usually show symptoms of bird flu, although the currently circulating H5N1 strain has caused illness and death in some wild birds. The avian influenza virus can more frequently kill domesticated birds, such as chickens and turkeys.
How does bird flu kill birds?
These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens and ducks, very sick and kill them.
Can we eat mutton during bird flu?
In restaurants and hotels, hardly anyone orders chicken, instead people prefer fish and mutton due to scare of bird flu. There might be a few cases but if you eat properly cooked chicken, it will cause no harm,” said the shopkeeper.
Can a bird be infected with the avian influenza virus?
Poultry, pigeons and wild or migratory birds, such as ducks, can become infected with the virus. There are two forms of the virus: high pathogenicity (HPAI) and low pathogenicity (LPAI). Pathogenicity indicates the severity of the disease if the bird contracts the virus.
What kind of viruses are found in birds?
Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza. Influenza viruses are single-stranded RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, of which 3 types (A, B, and C) are recognized; only influenza A and B viruses occur in highly pathogenic forms. The natural reservoir of influenza A viruses is birds, and, consequently, many are known as avian influenza viruses.
What can be done about avian flu in Australia?
Aviary birds, caged birds and back yard birds are at little risk if simple measures such as preventing them mixing with wild birds and protecting their feed and water supply are adopted. More information on bird biosecurity. Australia is well prepared to deal with a case of avian influenza should it occur in poultry here.
Is the avian influenza virus a natural reservoir?
The natural reservoir of influenza A viruses is birds, and, consequently, many are known as avian influenza viruses. These viruses naturally infect the intestinal tract of wild birds and, as expected in coevolved host-parasite systems, usually cause asymptomatic infections in their natural hosts [ 10 ].
What pathogen causes avian flu?
A bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A (H5N1) for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1, is the highly pathogenic causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as avian influenza (” bird flu “). It is enzootic (maintained in the population) in many bird populations,…
When did H1N1 start?
H1N1 was first detected in the United States in April 2009. This virus was a unique combination of influenza virus genes never previously identified in either animals or people.
Is bird flu a virus?
Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is a viral infection that can infect not only birds, but also humans and other animals. Most forms of the virus are restricted to birds. H5N1 is the most common form of bird flu.
How does Bird Flu effect humans?
When a person contracts bird flu, symptoms mimic human influenza complaints, including cough, muscle aches, fever, and sore throat, but the infection might worsen and cause pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and even death. In documented cases of human infection with H5N1, half of those infected have died.